The Prophecy of Etherwood
by PageTurner27
Summary: Harry Potter and Daphne Greengrass become friends in their 2nd year at Hogwarts. They agree to marriage contract to increase their family alliance. Their alliance makes changes in the Wizarding Government, The Sacred 28, and invokes an old prophecy that scares the current Dark Lord's agenda.
1. Chapter 1

The Prophecy of Etherwood

Chapter One

Harry Potter just left the dueling room where Lockhart paired him off with Draco Malfoy of all people. Which of course ended worse for him than he could imagine. His tiny issue with being able to talk to snakes was brought back into the limelight in front of most of his classmates. He still failed to see the connection between that ability and rumors of being the Heir of Slytherin. Tired of all the whispers in the Gryffindor Common Room, he packed up his bag and drudged to the library.

Engrossing himself into his Charms and Transfiguration texts, Harry realized that he really enjoyed studying. It was just when Ron or the some of the other Gryffindor boys were being loud and distracting that it was hard for him to concentrate. From this point on Harry made a deal with himself, to not fall behind on his studies and make his parents proud.

A tap on his shoulder startled Harry. He glanced up warily and blinked at the pretty unknown girl who just tried to get his attention. "Can I help you?" He asked her. The young girl with blonde hair with Slytherin robes nodded at him and said, "Do you mind if I join you?" Harry shrugged and nodded his consent.

The girl sat down primly and took her books out and began studying with him. This confused Harry, usually girls avoided him like the plague or whispered behind his back. But this girl clearly wasn't afraid of him. Harry cleared his throat and said, "So what's your name?" The girl with golden blonde hair smiled and stretched out her hand and replied, "It's Daphne Greengrass, it's nice to finally get to know you, Harry Potter." Harry raised an eyebrow at her and shook her hand firmly. "Wow, a Slytherin who introduces herself without hexing me, now that's a first in my book!" Daphne giggled at him, to Harry her light laughter was pure gold.

Harry smiled at her in return and went back to his reading. They continued to read in silence stealing glances at each other across the table. After what seemed forever, Harry had to ask, "So, not to be rude or anything, why study with me, Miss. Greengrass?" Daphne raised her eyebrow at him and replied evenly, "Because you, Harry Potter are an anomaly." Harry grinned and nodded. She continued carefully, "You get everyone to think that you are a true Gryffindor through and through, yet you go and show the school that you can talk to snakes. Now, my house, thinks that you are the Heir of Slytherin." Harry nodded simply, frowning slightly. Daphne collected herself and plowed on, "I'm going off on a limb here, did you know you could talk to snakes prior to that horrendous duel?" Harry smiled and said No, wondering where she was going with this.

"I though not, that is why you are an anomaly, Harry Potter." Daphne smiled happy to make small talk with her new friend. Harry silently agreed with the girl and continued studying. After a couple of minutes, he responded, "Would it be alright if I called you my friend?" he asked with a lopsided grin. Daphne laughed again and said yes. "Who knew it would be that easy to get through to the most secluded and talked about boy in Hogwarts?" Harry laughed and agreed with her. Daphne became serious for a minute and said, "Yes we can be friends, however, we shouldn't advertise it just yet, due to the goons in my house like Draco Malfoy who could make our lives hell very easily if found out." Harry agreed immediately liking that he had a new secret friend outside of Ron and Hermione. They were great, but a new friend with new ideas started to feel refreshing.

The two called it a night when the time came close to curfew and parted ways to their respective dorms. After making it to Gryffindor tower he was immediately acosted by Ron and Hermione. "Where have you been? I've been worried sick!" Hermione exclaimed with her arms crossed standing next to Ron by the fireplace. Harry almost rolled his eyes, she was just too predictable sometimes. Ron just stood there with his hands in his pockets waiting for him to respond. Harry replied, "I went to get some studying done". Ron laughed, "On a Friday night, please tell me you're not turning into Hermione!" Harry ignored that comment and told them that he was going to bed. They started protesting but gave up when he drudged upstairs.

The next day was a Saturday and so he spent his morning catching up with his two best friends and playing a rough game of Quidditch with his friends. That evening he received a letter from Miss. Greengrass at dinner. Ignoring Ron and Hermione's pleas to open it at dinner, he shoved in his knapsack for a later date.

While getting ready for bed he tossed his knapsack on top of it changed into some PJ's and closed his curtains. Excited to see what his new friend wrote to him he quickly opened his letter. In precise curly handwriting the letter said:

Dear Harry,

It was nice to meet you last night in the library. I'm usually not one to mix with other houses, but I felt our friendship could make an impact on the long run. I'll explain more about that later! Although the library is a great place to study your friend Hermione is there quite often, not that I don't like her, I just think some of our future discussions shouldn't be for everyone to hear. What I'm trying to say, is that both of us have a unique opportunity here and we shouldn't waste it.

If you could meet me on the fourth floor in the last empty classroom on the right-hand side, Tuesday night right after dinner so you won't be missed. Trust me, Harry, I'll explain more when we meet.

Your new friend, Daphne Greengrass

Harry Potter frowned with interest at Daphne's letter, he wasn't quite sure to make of it. But she asked to trust her, and Harry could at least do that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**: New Friendship

On Monday, Harry vowed he would study harder in his classes. His Monday classes were filled with Potions, Herbology, and Flying class. Not his best day, but at least he could keep studying. At 9:00 o'clock sharp he walked into class with Hermione at his side and sat next to her. They got out their textbooks and waited for everyone to settle in and for Professor Snape to begin his lesson.

Luckly, that class went smoothly and with a couple of hints from Hermione, their potion turned out well. Professor Snape assigned them two rolls of parchment on the potion they just made which Harry was determined to do well on. Thankfully it was only two months into the school year and although his grades weren't terrible, he knew he could do better.

Herbology went by smoothly nothing out of the ordinary, more dirt and plants to deal with as usual. Harry paired up with Neville Longbottom who seemed to enjoy this field of study. He asked Neville a couple of questions here and there that their text didn't cover, and Neville warmed up to Harry immediately. He began to fire off answers which made Harry laugh a little and they continued their banter until class finished.

After flying class, he met up with Ron and Hermione for dinner and they sat at their usual spot. Just for fun he got himself into a heated argurment with Ron about Chudly Cannons and who their best captain was over the past couple of decades. Dinner ended, and they trudged up to the Gryffindor common room and got ready for bed.

Tuesday morning gave Harry a rush of excitement as he remembered his meeting with Daphne this evening. He got up before his dorm mates as usual and started prepping for the day. After packing what he would need he went down to the common room to wait for Hermione to walk to breakfast.

Harry didn't have to wait long and greeted his perky friend at the entrance. He decided now might be a good idea to ask her about which electives to take next year. Third years were permitted to take a couple of electives and he was sure his friend had already had next year planned out.

"So, Hermione, just out of curiosity, what electives are third years granted?" Harry asked as they sat down for breakfast in the great hall. Hermione smiled and replied, "Wow Harry, you really are trying harder this year, aren't you?" Harry blushed and stated, "Yeah, I kind of feel guilty how bad I preformed last year, so I vowed to push myself harder this year." Hermione beamed and gushed, "Oh Harry, I'm thrilled!" "Well, Hogwarts actually has a packet of information on classes that I received as a muggleborn, I'm surprised you didn't get one." Harry finished his bite of food and said, "Yes, that seems strange that I didn't get the same information since I lived with muggles." He replied with a frown. Hermione nodded and fished through her bag for the pamphlet.

"Here, go ahead and borrow this for a while it has all the electives and extra curricular activities on it. Also, I suggest while your deciding on course elective use the library to find some beginner books on the subjects to see if you like them or not." Harry thanked her, and they walked to their first class for the day.

Tuesday's schedule was filled with Transfiguration, History of Magic, and Defense against the Dark Arts. Harry steered clear of the second floor knowing that the school was currently under attack due to his prior run ins with Mr. Filch's cat hanging on the wall petrified.

Finally, dinner ended, and Harry made his way to his meeting place with Daphne Greengrass. His curiosity was starting to get the better of him to which he tried to clear his mind to no avail. He reached the empty classroom and took out Hermione's pamphlet and waited. It wasn't long until he heard the door open. Harry stopped reading and waited patiently.

Daphne Greengrass wasn't at all surprised to see Harry Potter waiting for her at her chosen meeting place. She hoped that her proposals wouldn't end poorly. This meeting was important, it could mean the start of a fresh allegiance. She walked in with her head held high and turned to face her new friend.

Harry marked his page of his Transfiguration text and waited until Daphne was ready to discuss her important proposal.

Daphne steeled herself and sat across from Harry Potter. Clasping her hands together on the desk she began her proposal. "I understand we just met, and we barely know each other, but I think we can really benefit our families." Harry nodded and let her continue. "I'm not sure what you know of your family's history or of your knowledge of The Sacred 28, but I as a Slytherin and the heir of the Greengrass family, it is my duty to enter a marriage contract that will strengthen the Greengrass family's power, wealth, and prestige in society. However, we have always been a gray family and neutral in times of war, which means this proposal will tip the scales." Harry Potter just nodded and let her continue, not trusting himself to speak just yet.

"So, I'm sure that the pressure for me to enter a contract is far more than it is for you, even though you are the last living heir of the Potter Family. Which is why I am taking this great leap in coming to you with this burden which you are more than okay to turn down." Harry finally let out a sigh he was holding in and rubbed his eyes. Daphne finished her explanation and inclined her head to let Harry ask any burning questions that were most likely on his mind.

"You'll have to forgive me Daphne, I'm not really accustomed to Pureblood family traditions since I grew up with muggles." Daphne Greengrass raised her right eyebrow in surprise and then looked down again. "So, although what you are saying makes sense to me, I'm at a loss of anything to do with The Sacred 28 or other old traditions." Daphne nodded and pulled a couple of old books from her bag. "Here these texts should help you on that, read up on these traditions and a lot should be cleared up for you." Harry gratefully took her books and set them on the table.

After reflecting for a minute or two, Harry tried to reiterate what Daphne explained to him, "So as the eldest you are the heir of your family and the expectation falls on you to produce an heir to carry on the Greengrass line. And because the Greengrass family is a predominately neutral family, you would rather pick me than someone with ill intentions to make a grab for the family fortune, am I correct?" Harry asked. Daphne nodded and replied, "Spot on, Harry Potter and for the record, like you said, your fame means very little to me in this opportunity. If we plan far ahead, we can both make choices that will benefit both of our families in the long run." Harry smiled at that, Daphne Greengrass was turning out to be a breath of fresh air.

Harry asked Daphne a few more questions and, in the end, as it turned out they were both in an interesting spot pertaining to self-preservation and improving their family standings in society. They called it a night and he promised to read her texts thoroughly and send her a letter whether he agreed to her proposal. Daphne bade him goodnight and left for the dungeons while he trotted up to Gryffindor tower.

The next couple weeks passed in a blur and with Harry's school schedule he almost forgot to write a letter back to Daphne Greengrass. Cursing silenty to himself he promised to write to her this evening. Her texts provided useful information about the history of wizarding traditions, The Sacred 28, family lineages, Pureblood Traditions, and old rituals that sounded quite unpleasant.

Harry sat in the corner of the Gryffindor common room and pondered his response. He really did think about it a lot. Well, Harry thought, here goes nothing!

Dear Miss. Greengrass,

I am quite pleased with the recent turn of events and hope that my response won't burden our new friendship. Yes, initially I was a taken aback by your bold proposal, but then I began to really think about it. Your proposal is quite logical and well thought out. You truly do belong in Slytherin, Miss Greengrass!

So, I'll make this letter short, my answer is yes, I accept your marriage contract, henceforth, your alliance with the House of Potter. Why, you might ask yourself? I'll let you in on a little secret, the Sorting Hat did want to sort me into the Slytherin house, however, at the time I was pursuaded about superficial beliefs about the house by a certain Red-Head friend which lead me to Gryffindor. So, like yourself, I too value self-preservation.

I'm not sure what the next steps will be, but I'll gladly go through with them. Feel free to use my owl Hedwig if you need to deliver letters back home or to Gringotts.

Forever yours,

Harry James Potter


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

Winter months passed slowly as usual at Hogwarts for Harry and his classmates. The biting cold and wind storms were lessened by multiple warming charms and weather resistant wards for the castle. Students tended to retire to their dorms early even on the weekends. This suited Harry Potter just fine.

He entertained his friends with games of exploding snap and wizarding chess on Friday and Saturday nights while he filled his weekend days by hitting the books and pushing himself to learn more skills and increase his magical arsenal. Over the winter season he used the mail service to buy more quills, parchment and notebooks. He used his blank notebooks to jot down all the spells, charms, and potions he knew up to this point in his schooling. For example, Harry reviewed his 1st, 2nd year textbooks and dedicated a few pages to each of his classes on all the Transfiguration spells, Charm spells, Defense spells, potions with their ingrediant list, and Herbology notes. It was tedious, but after using a couple of useful expansion charms on the notebook, he could continue with this until his final year of Hogwarts without having to buy a new notebook.

After all his revising was finished for his current school required textbooks, Harry would spend his Sundays with Daphne in the library each picking up more material to study that was an extension of the material covered in their classes. He showed Daphne is revision notebook and she immediately took to making one of her own. The Hogwarts Library proved useful in many respects, due to its seemingly endless source of material, however, it was sadly disorganized. Yes, each textbook was placed according to subject matter, but they were not ranked or broken down by any means.

Harry and Daphne put together a study schedule where they could maximize their time in the library during their free periods. On occasion, they accepted a couple of their friends into their study sessions, namely Hermione Granger and Tracey Davis. Since they were their closest friends and agreed to keep their secret about their marriage contract. After some longated explanation, Hermione finally seemed to wrap her brilliant mind around the concept. Since she struggled with many Pureblood concepts that were foreign to her, Daphne and Tracey patiently explained about The Sacred 28 and other traditions that their families were expected to follow.

Mondays: Potions and Herbology

Tuesdays: Transfiguration and Defense against the Dark Arts

Wednesdays: Charms, Hexes, Jinxes, and additional spells

Thursdays: Practical magic

Fridays: Choice of material

Saturdays: Homework

Sundays: Homework

It would be hard work, but Harry and Daphne were determined to become the best they could be at Hogwarts, no matter what it takes. Yes, their relationship with each other respective houses may suffer, but with the passing of a couple of months, they both saw improvement in their grades. Even after all the effort Harry put in to each of his classes, his Potions grade still never rose above an A for Acceptable on his essays.

He mentioned his issue with Professor Snape and his grades to Daphne and Tracey one evening and they both realized that this should be handled immediately, but appropriately as well. They too noticed their Head of House held a long standing grudge against Harry. So, they helped him write a professional letter that would go out to Headmaster Dumbledore, Harry's head of house, and Professor Snape.

It wasn't until the next week that a letter came back to him from Professor Snape himself. Nervously, he opened it privately after dinner and the letter read:

Mr. Potter,

I have spoken with the Headmaster and reluctantly agreed to meet with you tomorrow evening

to discuss your concern. Be at my office by 8:00 o'clock sharp. I do not accept tardiness.

Professor Snape

Harry sighed, it sounded like him and it also seemed like cluing the Headmaster in was also a good idea as well. He decided to go back to Gryffindor tower early and get some Transfiguration practice in.

Tuesday evening rolled around slowly but surely, and Harry finished his dinner early so he wouldn't be late for his meeting with Professor Snape. He honestly couldn't fathom what to say to the man. He seemed to hold an unyielding grudge against him since he stepped foot in Hogwarts. Quarter to 8:00 he made his way down to Professor Snape's office in the dungeons.

After a thought-provoking discussion with Professor Snape, Harry Potter headed back to Gryffindor Tower. He agreed to be fair, and if one of his essays needed work he would tell him exactly what needed fixing to improve next time. He also admitted relunctantly that his potion skills were getting better, but his practicals needed a bit of work. If he wanted to, Harry could use the lab under his supervision on Thursday evenings. Pleased with himself Harry got ready for bed.

The week before the first weekend of March, Harry Potter received an official envelope with the Greengrass Family crest on the back. Harry gulped and quickly hid it in his bag before his friends asked too many questions he couldn't rightly give answers to just yet. That evening he opened the letter behind closed curtains.

Dear Mr. Potter,

It has come to my attention that my eldest daughter, Daphne, has discussed a possible marriage contract between you two. I am hesitant about this because I have not met you yet. Daphne has had several proposals from suitors in the past since she turned ten. I have turned them all down for various reasons.

As a father of two daughters, one can forgive my hesitancy. The Greengrass family is a part of the Sacred 28, therefore, we must adhere to the Old Ways. However, I am a modern man and believe that young ladies should always be content with their partners and treated equally in marriage.

I would like us to meet at my manor, which will be opened to the floo network in Professor Snape's office on Saturday morning, March 9th. We will discuss the proposal over breakfast at 9'oclock. I have spoken to him and he has agreed to my request. I look forward to meeting you Mr. Potter.

Sincerely,

Lord Samual Watson Greengrass

Harry Potter let out a long breath. He noted that the letter was pretty formal. Lord Greengrass seemed like a nice man but was still accustomed to the Old Ways Daphne discussed with him earlier this year. Racking his brain, he tried to remember at the beginning of the year, what Hermione mentioned about their trunks were already brought up to the castle after they get off the train. Ah, yes Hogwarts a History! He dove into his messy trunk searching for the book he barely read. On page 11, he found what he needed.

_To accommodate the growing population of Hogwarts' students, the school has used House Elves for a variety of reasons. They clean the common rooms, make meals and yearly feasts, and assist faculty with any extraneous needs. House elves have always been treated fairly at Hogwarts. They are interesting creatures and truly enjoy helping witches and wizards. We strongly believe that punishing house elves is wrong. They also have their own living quarters by the kitchens. _

Since it was still evening, and Harry had the dorm to himself, so he decided to call a house elf for help. A house elf appeared with a soft pop! "Hello, house elf, what is your name?" Harry asked cautiously looking down at the curious creature in front of him. The house elf widened her eyes even more than they already were, 'this young man is so polite!' she thought. She bowed and answered, "My name is Piper, I work for Hogwarts. How may I assist you?" Piper asked politely. Harry smiled, he liked this young Piper, she seemed eager to please and didn't mind helping him.

"I have a request, that I hope isn't too much. I need a set of formal robes from Madam Malkins but I'm not allowed to leave Hogwarts during the school year." Piper nodded her head excitedly and asked. "If you would like Sir, I can take your measurements now." Harry nodded his approval. Piper snapped her fingers and a measuring tape appeared and started measuring him. It took only a minute.

"I can put the order in tomorrow morning and pick them tomorrow evening, would that be acceptable sir?" Harry smiled and nodded. He fished around for his coin bag and gaver her what he thought would be enough. Piper bowed and popped back to the kitchens. Harry sighed and got ready for bed, it was just as well because he could hear the boys coming up from the common room.

-Intermission-

Harry Potter woke up early with his tempus charm set for 8:15 AM. He quickly headed to the lavatories and went through his morning routine. He already told Ron that he would be busy for most of the day, so no further explanation would be needed. After a thorough shower Harry changed into his new formal robes that Piper helped him buy. They were quite nice, not overly formal like dress robes, but they would do.

After changing, Harry looked at himself in the mirror. The robes were a dark forest green with a light tan outer cloak. "I look ridiculous" Harry exclaimed to himself, the mirror replied, "no dear, you look great!" Harry grunted a reply and headed back to the dorm to get his wand. He then headed down to the common room hoping not to run into anyone, not noticing her, but hearing her voice, Harry turned hesitantly towards Hermione.

"Oh, Harry, you clean up nicely!" Harry groaned at her and replied, "Not now Hermione! I got to catch the floo!" Hermione grinned wickedly and called after him, "Don't forget your formal greeting!" Harry glanced back at her and hurried out of Gryffindor Tower. He walked with purpose down to the dungeons to Professor Snape's office.

Finally, after what seemed like a half hour he arrived at his destination. He nervously gulped, composed himself and knocked on Professor Snape's door. The usual barking answer replied, "Come in!". Harry opened the door and closed it quietly behind him. Professor Snape's office was quite orderly, clean, and simple. He found his Professor behind his desk grading essays. Harry hoped they weren't 2nd years.

Professor Snape finally glared up at him for interrupting his work and flicked his wand to the fire place to activate the floo. Harry thanked him awkwardly and grabbed a small handful of floo powder and called out, "Greengrass Manor!" then stepped into the green flames. After a minute he reached his destination and did his best not to fall flat on his front by doing a short run-stop to catch himself. It seemed to work just fine as he dusted himself off Harry heard a soft giggle from his left.

Harry Potter glanced up and caught a young girl giggling madly at him. Harry offered her a smile and bowed shortly. "Hello Miss. Greengrass, you must be Astoria, am I correct" He asked politely. The girl nodded, curtised back, and offered her hand. Harry closed the gap, kiseed the back of her hand and practiced his formal greeting. "Heir Potter, Miss Greengrass, it is a pleasure to meet you, Daphne talks a lot about you." Astoria smiled warmly and replied. "Thank you, Heir Potter, it is great to meet you as well! I am here to escort you to the sun room. Harry allowed her to lead the way which let him take in the manor a little bit.

So far the Greengrass Manor was quite beautiful, stately, but not excessive or tacky. Astoria called in front of him, "Oh, don't worry, you'll get a tour after breakfast!" After reaching two stately white doors with glass windows, Astoria stopped in front of him and opened the two doors. They entered the Sun Room and Astoria greeted her family with, "May I present to you, Heir Potter, for his meeting with Lord Greengrass". Harry brushed off the notion of how weird it was that she mentioned her father as Lord Greengrass.

Three figures were seated at the round white breakfast table. Harry Potter steeled himself and with his prepared greeting introduced himself once again "Good morning Lord and Lady Greengrass, and Miss. Greengrass, Heir Potter is here for the meeting with Lord Greengrass. I thank you ahead for your lovely hospitality." Harry bowed low in the direction of Lord Greengrass and straightened himself.

Now focusing on the trio in front of him, Lord Greengrass and Lady Greengrass wore matching spring semi-formal robes. Lord Greengrass's family crest was patched on his left shoulder. Lord Greengrass had soft blonde hair while Lady Greengrass had dark brown hair matching her youngest daughter. He was tall, broad shouldered and wore a pleasant expression on his face. Lady Greengrass was slightly shorter, but thin and classy looking, almost like an old Hollywood movie actress.

Lord Greengrass stood up and held out his hand, "Heir Potter, please call me Samual, we are more than happy to share our hospitality with you on this fine spring day." Harry Potter shook his hand firmly and turned to Lady Greengrass who held out her hand, he kissed it just like Astoria's and then stepped back and broke the ice. "What a lovely manor you have! It's quite tasteful." Lady Greengrass nodded and thanked him while offering him a seat.

Lord Greengrass turned to address Daphne and Astoria who were still in the room, "Ladies, it's a beautiful day, why don't you take a walk outside and enjoy the sunshine, hmm? Bring your cloaks for the breeze" Daphne nodded, smiled at Harry reassuredly and grabbed her sister before she could protest further.

Harry sat down across from the Lord and Lady and was asked how he took his tea. Harry replied with just a bit of milk. He waited patiently Samual to begin the meeting. Without further ado, he began, "Heir Potter, as my letter mentioned it has come to my attention that my eldest daughter, Daphne, discussed with you a possible marriage contract with the benefit of uniting our families. She has informed me that you are aware that we are a Neutral and do not take sides in wizarding conflicts. Now, I have a few questions for you, if you don't mind." Harry nodded and let him continue.

Author's Note: Left it at the cliff hanger! Will continue with this scene for the next chapter. I will do my best to update regularly. I am glad you all are enjoying this story as much as I am so far!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**:

Harry internally hoped Samuel's questions wouldn't be over the top or something he hadn't recently researched on marriage contracts, or the Sacred 28. He drew a deep breath and attempted to sit up a bit straighter and waited for Lord Greengrass to fire away.

"So, Mr. Potter, you wish to enter a marriage contract with my eldest daughter, Daphne, correct?" Harry nodded and replied yes.

"Is this your first marriage contract proposal you've encountered?" Harry nodded and replied yes, again.

"Since you've been to Gringott's bank, what is your current financial situation?" Harry blinked a couple of times and tried to formulate an answer that didn't sound rubbish.

"I am only aware of one vault at Gringotts sir, which is my school Trust Vault. Although I am willing to partake what is needed to appease your permission." Lord Greengrass smiled at the young lad's answer. So, he wasn't selfish or greedy, which passed his first test. Lady Greengrass on the other hand glanced at her husband and continued with a rebuttal.

"So, Mr. Potter, it sounds like you haven't visited your Family Vault, is that right?" Harry nodded. "Do you know who your current legal guardian is?" Harry shook his head and replied no.

Lord Greengrass and Lady Greengrass shared a look. Samuel decided then that it was pointless to question the lad further until this new situation was taken care of immediately.

"Okay Mr. Potter, now that we know where you stand, I believe we will need to hold off on the contract to straighten out your current situation." Harry raised his eyebrow at him with a questioning look.

Samuel continued and replied, "You should have been emancipated at age eleven Mr. Potter. Whoever your current guardian is - is keeping secrets from you with good reason. Not only that, but your guardian also failed to allow you to read your parents' wills, which is a greater disservice to a young heir." Harry gulped and sat their dumbfounded.

Samuel thought it would be best to cut their meeting short. He told Harry he would be notified via owl by Gringotts soon. He called his house elf, Nima, who gathered Daphne and Astoria from their walk and went to the dining room for a spot of lunch. The house elves made them a fabulous English lunch consisting of hearty tomato soup, sandwiches, and rolls. After they had their fill, Daphne linked arms with Harry and toured the manor.

The Greengrass manor consisted of five floors total the top contained the attic with a beautiful window seat overlooking the gardens below. The lowest floor contained a spectacular potions lab that would make Professor Snape drool. The second floor contained the ground floor with two dining rooms, one for parties and one for family time as well as a quant ballroom. The third floor contained their family library, two studies, and the master bedroom. The fourth floor contained a separate wing for Daphne and Astoria's bedrooms along with another wing for more guest bedrooms.

Outside the manor, Daphne ended with a brief tour of the grounds since they had to go back to school soon. She took him over to their stable. Daphne gushed how she loved to ride her own horse, named Fria. Overall, they had four horses. Harry told her that he never had the chance to ride and she promised to teach him to ride over the summer. He grinned at that.

Once they reached the fireplace, Daphne gave him a warm hug and boldly kissed him on the cheek. Harry blushed and hugged her back. He floed back to Hogwarts and hurried back to Gryffindor Tower.

After briefly catching Hermione up he quickly changed back into his casual clothes and headed to the library with Hermione to do some more research. He explained to Hermione that Lord Greengrass was concerned about his Legal Guardian and his situation with Gringotts. Hermione found this alarming and they began to dig into some texts to find the information they needed.

The one text that helped them out was titled, "Family and Guardianship Wizarding Law". It did indeed state that it was possible to become emancipated due to his parents' fall to Lord Voldemort. However, it also stated that whoever the current legal guardian is of a young heir also controlled the heir's vaults until he or she became of age. Furious with this new information. Harry wrote a missive to Gringotts asking for a discreet meeting with the Potter Family account manager. He was tired of being kept in the dark and felt it was high time to change that.

It wasn't until Monday that Harry received a letter back from Gringotts.

Dear Mr. Potter,

_Thank you for informing us of your current situation. Lord Greengrass, a trusted friend of the Potter Family has also informed us as well. It seems that there is a lot to discuss. If you can I would like to schedule an appointment with you at Gringotts this Friday evening at 5:00 o'clock sharp. Lord Greengrass will also be present as acting counsel. _

Sincerely,

Noomark, Account and Asset Manager

Harry Potter felt satisfied after reading his letter received from Gringotts. He was finally getting some much-needed answers. Running a hand through his black messy hair, he closed his eyes thought about his life he led so far. Sick and tired of going back to the Dursley's and being their slave, every summer was not an option anymore. Then again, if he didn't at least show up for a little bit, Dumbledore will know something was up. He decided he would stay at the Dursleys for one-week next summer to keep up appearances, then find some place to live.

The following week passed by slowly. Harry's evenings were filled with homework and study sessions in the library. He filled her in once they had a minute about what her father decided, and she thought that it was wise to check his Gringott's account. Finally, Friday rolled around, and Harry's emotions spiked again over his meeting at Gringotts tonight. The day just seemed to drag on. First with Potions and Herbology then with last minute studying before 5'oclock. Since he and Professor Snape were still good, he agreed to let him go to his meeting at Gringotts.

After arriving at Gringotts bank, Harry dusted the soot off his casual robes and walked over to the Goblin Administrator. Harry fetched his key and his letter, and the Goblin barked an order at another goblin. He ran to the hallway behind the Goblin Tellers and came back beckoning Harry to follow him. Once the goblin opened Noomark's office, Harry immediately greeted Lord Greengrass and Noomark, the Account Manager.

"Heir Potter, you are a hard man to track down." Noomark began, "What happened to all of those letters we sent you before you came to Hogwarts?" Harry gulped and replied, "My Aunt and Uncle made sure I was to never read a single one, Uncle Vernon often made a 'show' of burning them." Noomark frowned and shook his head. "Well, today, we are going to change all of that." Harry smiled.

"We have lots to accomplish tonight, so I hope you had your dinner." Harry nodded and simply let Noomark begin his interrogation. "First thing is first, your inheritance test. This is mandatory if you do in fact wish to declare yourself an emancipated wizard." Harry accepted the goblin dagger from Noomark and drew a small line on his skin from his right hand. He let a couple drops of blood seep into the bowl that contained unknown ruins on the outside. A few moments passed, Harry was beginning to get nervous, until a rolled scroll appeared in the bowl with the Potter Family crest.

Noomark took out the scroll gently and unfurled it. He let out a low whistle. "Well Heir Potter, this is definitely the most interesting results I have seen in many years." Harry bit back a groan, couldn't he just be _normal_?

**The Potter Family Heir**

Harold James Potter

Age: 12

School: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Trust Vault:

-30,000 gallons

Family Vault:

-4,000,000 gallons 800,000 sickles 70,000 knuts

-30 gold bars

-50,000 books

-200 furnature pieces

-150 wardrobe pieces, additional gems, jewelry

-20 pieces of weaponry

-4 trunks

Potter Assets:

-Potter Manor: Northern Scotland

-Godric's Hollow: England

Last Living Heir of the Potter Line: (rights to lineages once of age or by emancipation)

Heir Potter: Father's line

Heir Ether: Mother's line

Heir Rae: Mother's line

Ether Vault:

88,000,000 gallons 900,000 sickles 200,000 knuts

Ether Assets:

-Ether Estate – location: Latvia

-Ether Castle – location: Northern France

-Ether Forest – location: Northern France

-Ether Home – location: Netherlands

Rae Vault:

10,000,000 gallons 100,000 sickles 800 knuts

Rae Assets:

-Rae Manor – location: Luxembourg

-Rae Estate – location: Romania

-Rae Home – location: Southern Ireland

-Ether Island – location: Rathlin, County Antrim, Ireland

After the initial inheritance result Harry felt overwhelmed and quite astounded that all of this would be his. Seeing the gobsmacked expression on his face, Samuel smiled and continued for him. "Thank you Noomark, we would also like a health checkup and a full magical-core checkup as well." Noomark nodded and barked a couple of orders to his staff. One of the goblins quickly brought in a another aid to assist with the next ritual. Harry once again cut his palm and dropped some blood onto two new ruin bowls. After another few minutes two new scrolls appeared in each bowl. Noomark grabbed both and proceeded to open each scroll. Harry suddenly became nervous, not once did he reveal his Aunt and Uncle's treatment to any member of the wizarding community. Except for the time the Weasley twins and Ron came with there Dad's flying car. But they only saw the bars on his window, nothing else was mentioned thankfully.

Health Checkup:

Two cracked ribs – healed magically

Left arm: various broken bones

Back: multiple scarring apparent, bruising

Weight: malnourished

Height: 5 foot

Magical-Core Scan:

Dark soul fragment attached to magical scar

Magical core depleted from self-healing over many years

Elemental abilities blocked 100%

Shadow abilities blocked 100%

Editic Memory blocked 100%

Magical Core blocked 80%

Natural abilities blocked 80%

Parsel abilities blocked 50%

Metamorph abilities blocked 50%

After his family's Asset manager read off the last two scans, Harry closed his eyes trying not to let his anger get the best of him. Fortunately, Lord Greengrass, was still shocked at the new information so he was silent for the moment. Harry on the other hand stood up and began pacing slowly back and forth in Noomark's office. A million thoughts began to run through his mind. Why would someone do this to him? What would give him the right to? Or most importantly, what would he have to gain?

Harry Potter stopped pacing and stared at Noomark who met his gaze and asked the one question he was dreading the answer, "Noomark, who is my legal guardian?" Noomark nodded and responded in kind, "Albus Dumbledore". Fury started to bubble up inside Harry. All this time he was told all about the 'great Albus Dumbledore', however, this too was a lie. The most powerful wizard he currently knows left him at the Dursleys to suffer and blocked his magical abilities. Something was very, very wrong.

"Harry, I need you to calm down a bit, okay son?" Samuel stated gently turning in his chair with a worried expression on his face. "We will get to the bottom of this, that I promise. However, I think if you are up to it the goblins can clear those magical blocks and heal your injuries. Would that be okay to accomplish today?" Harry nodded numbly and sat back down. "That would be acceptable, thank you, Samuel." Noomark barked a couple of more orders and Harry was ushered from the office down the hall into what looked like a more secure ritual room.

"No need to fear, Heir Potter, the goblins will make it at least painful as possible. Although, the soul fragment might be more stubborn to contain." Noomark grinned with a hideous grin on his face. Harry didn't believe a word he just said. He was then ordered to strip to his under clothes and lie in the middle of the alter on a bare mat. Harry complied, once finished, Noomark gave an order to a couple of other goblins Harry never met before who according to his safety, restrained his wrists and ankles to the floor.

Harry Potter tried to still his body and mind. He heard more goblins enter the room, one of them spoke to him and said he would place a blindfold over his eyes for his safety and check on the restraints. Once the goblins were ready the same goblin told Harry to prepare himself, not knowing what to do he just nodded and told them to go ahead.

After the third round of chanting in ancient latin, the goblins stopped, Harry felt nothing until – an incredible amount of unyielding pain throughout his entire body. Only to black out a few seconds later. The first thing Harry Potter noticed when he woke up was that he wasn't at Gringotts anymore and he certainly wasn't at Hogwarts.

Harry groaned and tried to sit up in what felt like a really soft bed. He rubbed his eyes and blinked a couple of times. Reaching over to the bed side table he tried to find his glasses. After realizing they weren't there He sat up and his eyes began to focus on the room. Gasping slightly, he realized everything was incredibly clear. His eyesight appeared to be 20/20! Grinning he stumbled out of bed to look at himself in the full length mirror. Harry gasped again, he must have grown a half a foot taller! He took off his shirt and gaped at his near perfect skin and healed bones. Turning around slightly, he felt his back amazed, he didn't find any old scarring or bruising. His muscles were more apparent but he now he looked even more skinny than before due to the growth spurt. Nervously, Harry lifted his bangs away from his forehead and felt his scar. It was still there, but it was no longer an 'angry red' color. It was almost invisible and he didn't feel any migraines from it anymore.

He turned when he saw one of the Greengrass's family house elves carrying a tray of tea and biskets. Harry thanked her and got dressed in some casual robes that were layed out for him. He put them on and called Milly again and asked her if Daphne's family was home for the day. Milly brought him to the family library. Harry immediately fell in love, wincing, at the fact that he almost acted like Hermione. "Hi Harry!" Daphne called from a table to the left with a few books layed out in front of her. Harry turned and smiled at her. She was wearing a light set of coral robes that fit her figure and her hair was back in a neat french braid.

Harry walked over and sat down opposite of her. He frowned a little and thought that if Daphne hadn't approached him that day in the library, he wouldn't have known about his rightful heritage or about how much Albus Dumbledore controlled his life up to now. "Daphne," Harry said slowly, "I just wanted to thank you for coming into my life. From the day we met I've grown so much, and I am so grateful for you." He searched her eyes as she smiled. Daphne leaned over and kissed his cheek. Harry blushed. "Oh, Harry, I'm glad I did too. I think we both saved each other from certain ill-fitted fates." Harry nodded, now relieved she felt the same way.

They sat and chatted for a while and Daphne filled him on everything he missed. Apparently, it was Sunday evening, and Harry slept for a day and a half. They would floo back to Hogwarts tonight and get ready for classes tomorrow morning. Her parents met them by the fire place when they were ready to go. Harry thanked Samuel profously for setting up the meeting at Gringotts. They promised they would draft a contract proposal by the end of the month. Daphne hugged her parents and her and Harry made it to Professor Snape's office fifteen minutes before curfew.

Author's Note: To my readers – I am glad you like the story. I will do my best to post every two weeks. I also will try to post longer chapters.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

It was nearing the end of Harry Potter's 2nd year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was grateful for his maturity growth spurt this year, however, he wanted to have some fun. Harry couldn't have been more relieved and satisfied with how much he changed and grown up this year. After reading about the Sacred 28 it appeared that Daphne, her sister, and other young pureblood witches and wizards were taught these lessons as well.

Harry performed a quick tempus charm with his holly wand. It was a bit after 8'oclock on a Monday, time to head down for breakfast. Freshening up and grabbing his knapsack with what he needed for the day, Harry headed down for breakfast with Dean and Seamus Finnigan. Harry knew he grew up fast, with his abusive Aunt and Uncle, anyone would have. He kept reminding himself to relax and enjoy his time at Hogwarts now that he had a handle on his grades.

So after conversing with his roomates over breakfast they were keen on his idea of starting a chess club. They would begin the chess tournament in house and with permission of their Professors, branch out to other houses for anyone wishing to sign up for future tournaments. Harry asked Ron if he wanted to lead the club and he was thrilled with the idea, but only if he could participate as well. Harry readily agreed and would ask their House Head, if she would make their club formal.

Harry's idea of the club only came from when the professors' banned Quidditch matches due to the increasing attacks from within the school. He figured it would be away for the students to keep themselves busy outside of regular classes. Harry knew Hermione and Ron were trying to wrangle him into figuring out the Chamber of Secrets mystery after their house mate, Collin Creevy was attacked by the monster. After he had enough of their bickering he finally agreed to help them, since it might heal his reputation within the student body.

Harry and Ron were at dinner with their friends when their Head of House came up to them and asked her to accompany them to the Hospital Wing. They both scrambled off the bench and followed her with worried thoughts. Harry had a dreaded feeling growing in his gut. Before opening the door to the wing, she turned and sadly told them that Hermione was in the library and became a new victim of the monster from the Chamber of Secrets. They walked in hesitantly, not wanting to see their dear friend in an unresponsive, petrified state of existance. Gasping, Ron and and Harry slowly moved toward her bed. One arm was upright in an awkward angle while her other was clenched by her side. Madam Pompfrey asked them the last time they saw her Ron blurted out that it was just after lunch.

Harry paled at the sight of his dear Hermione lying cold on the hospital bed. Yes, he wanted to do something about it but he was conflicted for a couple of selfish reasons, he thought bitterly. If he stopped 'the monster' that was causing students to be petrified then he would once again be back in Dumbledore's pocket and be hailed as the school's saviour again, two years in a row. On the other hand, that path might be okay for a while. Granted he was turning thirteen soon and could keep this saviour persona alive for alittle while longer to keep up appearances. Harry shook his head to clear his thoughts, Daphne was really beginning to draw out his slytherthin side. After Ron left the wing, Harry was still holding Hermione's clenched fist. Eyes widening a fraction he felt a piece of parchment that she was clutching desparately. Unfurling quietly so not to alert Madam Pomphrey, Harry all but gasped at the word, _Pipes!._ Harry stood up and kissed Hermione on her cold forehead and whispered, 'you are so brilliant, Hermione! I'll stop this madness I promise you.' Harry then walked quickly from the hospital wing with one destination in mind. Whatever was haunting this school must end tonight.

Rushing to Professor Snape's office, Harry decided it would be best to alert him since he might have a better idea as to where the location of the chamber may be within the castle. Trying but failing to form a half-assed lie, knowing it was pointless anyway, Harry rushed into Professor Snape's office not even bother to knock. His dark haired Professor growled at the sight of him, but Harry could care less, he had to save Hermione.

"Professor Snape, sir!" Harry gasped rushing in front of his desk. Professor Snape stood up and crossed his arms waiting for him to continue. "I'm sorry sir, but I think you're the only person who can help. You already know that the monster got Hermione, but when I visited her I found this note in her hand." Harry handed over the scrap piece of parchment and his stern Professor glared at him and read it. Not waisting a minute, Harry then blurted out, "Do you know where the Chamber of Secrets is, Sir?" Still thinking rapidly, Professor Snape muttered, "It must be on the second floor, this could all connect back to Moaning Mertel." Harry gasped and then ran out before Professor Snape could whip out his wand to stop him. "Blasted Potter!" He growled and went to alert the Headmaster.

Harry kept running until he reached the 2nd floor, he stopped, mid hallway and noticed the writing on the wall. His eyes widened, now even more concerned for his fellow classmates as the words echoed in his mind, "Her body will lie in the Chamber Forever…" So it appeared the monster struck again.

Finally, gasping for air, Harry called out Myrtel's name in a desparate attempt to locate the Chamber's entrance. After trying to seduce him and failing miserably, she pointed to the sink that was the only one not running water on the tile floor. Harry gulped and cleared his mind, then whispered in parseltongue, "I command you to open!" Opening his eyes he stood back in awe as the sinks began to split apart. After their transformation, Harry glanced forward, not finding anything other than a deep dark hole. Gulping Harry cast 'Lumos' and realized the giant pipe was covered in slime. He shredded a piece of his pant leg and transfigured it into a sturdy rope. Harry learned early on this year that transfiguration was one of his better skills. He tied it to one of the faucets and eased down the dark passage.

Finally reaching the bottom Harry jumped and winced as heard a loud crunch below his feet. Casting 'Lumos' again, Harry gasped at what he found, an entire floor made up of skulls, animals and human alike. Shuddering, Harry pressed on continuing through the pipe system until he reached a giant vault like door with miniature snakes as lock mechanics. He used Parseltongue again to open the vault door. It hissed as it opened and he cautiously stepped through. Casting 'Lumos' again the Chamber seemed bigger than he imagined it would, it had high ceilings with smaller pipe outlays leading to more pipes. It seemed that Salazar Slytherthin was very fond of snakes Harry mused. Every archway had snake obelsces and then – Harry stopped – there on the cold floor under the giant statue of a snake man's ugly head lay little Ginny Weasley. Shock coursed through his body wondering how they all fucked this one up. What horrors she must have witnessed this year just because her brothers ignored her time and time again.

Reaching down he tried to shake her to wake her up, at first Harry thought she was sleeping, but that wasn't the case. Harry felt her pulse, breathing a sigh of relief. He almost jumped and gripped his wand when he heard a male's voice, "She won't wake" Harry held his wand firmly in two hands at the wizard walking toward him, "Who are you?" He asked in a commanding voice.

"Ah, Harry Potter, It has been quite some time, I have been so longing to meet you!" The pale man in Hogwarts robes hissed back at him. Harry's wand started to shake and continued his interrogation, "I asked you what your name is, and how is it that you know mine?" He growled out. The young man chuckled and shook his head holding onto Ginny's wand. "My name, Mr. Potter, is Tom Riddle maybe you have heard of me?" Harry shook his head although the man seemed somewhat familiar but he couldn't quite place it.

"Did the old Headmaster Dippet send you to rescue the poor girl?" Harry shook his head and then realized this man might not be completely alive, he appeared almost ghostlike. "Ah, then the crackpot old fool, Albus Dumbledore, well, with the way he runs the school now I wouldn't be surprised. Letting mud-bloods learning magic, such a tragedy." Tom tutted sneering slightly.

Playing the hero role again, Harry took the bait, "Headmaster Dumbledore is the greatest wizard and the most powerful!" Tom Riddle chuckled and flicked Ginny's wand in the air which drew his name in flames and then with another flick they rearranged themselves and read, "I am Lord Voldemort".

Harry gasped and his mind began turning rapidly, so that's how Ginny got sucked down here. The diary in her hands must be a horcrux! He learned the terrifying term from the Goblins after they cleared out the 'dark soul' that binded onto his scar. Harry was dealing with a horcrux, a soul fragment of the murderer who killed his parents and changed his life forever. "Now you see Mr. Potter, you are the very person I've been waiting to meet!"

Harry was to slow to realize that Tom Riddle now turned away from him and spoke rapidly in parseltongue to the giant ugly stone face on the wall to the right of him. Then he turned around and with a red glint in his eyes, Tom spoke, "Let us match Dumbledore's greatest hero with the power of Salazar Slytherthin!" Harry gulped and heard a long hiss as the vault opened. He turned around and began running as fast as he could.

He scrambled to an inlay and hid from the beast. The giant snake really was massive! Harry had no idea how Ginny managed to survive Tom's reign of terror and get that beast through the school. Wincing as his heel hit the metal bars the snake stopped and cocked his head. 'so it listens to sound'. Harry threw a small rock in the opposite direction and ran back to Ginny. Just then he heard a soft 'caw' overhead, it was Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix! The phoenix dropped a black bundle at his feet and flew straight to the beast and cut at the eyes with his talons so the beast was rendered blind. Infuriated, Tom Riddle hissed in parseltongue again and the beast was back on his tail. Hurriedly, he unwrapped the package, and found the old sorting hat. Curious, but now more desperate he cried, "Help me save Ginny!" to the hat. For a moment, Harry felt foolish, talking to the hat. But then, Harry grabbed the hat again and saw something heavy poke out of it.

Harry grabbed, it was a sword! He pulled the sword out and faced the beast. Then he grabbed the diary from Ginny's cold figure with his left. That made Tom nervous. Harry gripped the sword and began his assault on the beast. After being whipped around by the snake's giant tale Harry finally figured out the best angle. He wasn't going to defeat the beast straight on in a fight. So, after distracting it in parseltongue, he jumped on the snake's back and hooked it with his legs. It was almost like riding a mechanical bull at this point. Gripping the sword in two hands, the diary safely in his robes, Harry lifted the sword up and plunged it down straight through its neck. The beast screamed and opened his mouth, Harry fumbled and tossed the diary into the mouth where the beast snapped it down with his huge teeth. It was then Tom Riddle's turn to scream. The soul fragment screamed for a minute or two and then with Harry's astonishment he began to break apart and vanished in thin air.

Harry slid off the monster and went over to Ginny. Harry shook Miss. Weasley awake and she finally stirred and began to open her eyes. Blinking rapidly the girl took in gulps of air and tried to get her barings straight. She then noticed Harry kneeling next to her and she gasped as she saw the diary in his hands. "It's okay Ginny, you're going to be fine. Take deep breaths for me, okay?" Harry asked as he noticed the girl beginning to panic as Ginny realized she was in the Chamber again.

Finding her voice, Ginny whispered, "I didn't mean to! Please belive me." She curled her arms around her legs and started whimpering. Harry squeezed her shoulder gently and tried to comfort her the best he could. After a couple of minutes he got Ginny to stand and on shaking legs she did when holding on to him. Fawkes then came and swooped down to their level and offered out his tail as if to say, "Hold on!" Harry looked at Ginny who wrapped her arms around his torso and he held on tight. The phoenix flew them through the Chamber and back to the entrance, and up the pipe entrance leading to the 2nd floor girl's bathroom.

After collapsing in an undignified heap, Harry and Ginny stood up only to find Professor Snape glaring at them. "Well, Mr. Potter what do you have to say for yourself after breaking at least 50 school rules?" The stern potions master spit out then eyeing the Weasley girl to see if she was okay. Harry sighed and replied, "With all due respect Sir, I just fought a giant monster and rescued my best friend's sister. I think that should count for something." Harry said in a tired voice. Snape raised an eyebrow at him and told them to follow him to the hospital wing.

From there, Harry hardly noticed the chaos surrounding himself and Ginny. Madam Pompfrey immediately took over and ran health scans over Ginny. Whereas Harry waved her off not wanting to alert the Headmaster of his recent discoveries at Gringotts. He took some healing potions from her and told her he was fine. The Weasley matriarch and Mr. Weasley burst in the doors after being held up by Professor McGonagall. Ginny hugged them and began crying in her mum's arms. Harry tried to scoot away not wanting to interfere, he almost made until, "Mr. Potter, if I could have a word…" the Headmaster asked. Harry tried not to look him in the eyes after learning about the mind magicks this man was capable of, he nodded and followed him out the door.

The Headmaster led him the main hall that leads into the Great Hall. Then his not-so-legal-guardian turned around and smiled genially at him. "Harry, I must first thank you for figuring out Miss. Granger's clue and rescuing Miss. Weasley. The Weasley family is very thankful for your heroic act tonight. In that respect I would like to honor you with the Services for the School Award for this term." Harry gaped at the man, he really must be losing it! Harry then stilled his mind, looked up at him briefly and thanked him for the award. Just as he was leaving, they turned around when a third man entered the vacinity.

Harry Potter glanced warily at the man, once he started to move towards him he noticed a small house elf quivering behind him. Wracking his brain, and then Harry remembered the book shop and the fight between this man and Mr. Weasley. Harry Potter put on his best glare and stood behind the Headmaster. "Mr. Malfoy, what can I do for you?" The Headmaster asked formally. "Ah, I was hoping to spare some of your time Albus, but it seems that you are busy…" Lord Malfoy said stiffly while narrowing his eyes in Harry's direction.

"Nonsense, Mr. Potter was just leaving, I think he might need a good night's sleep after his heroic act tonight." Harry nodded, turned and walked slowly down the hall. He didn't want to leave just yet.

Harry caught some of their conversation as he dawdled in the hall. "I can assure you Mr. Dumbledore, that I did not know that the book was a dark object." Mr. Malfoy tried with the Headmaster. The Headmaster said a few words abut protecting the school and the next generation. Once they were finished Harry turned around and saw Mr. Malfoy using his cane on his house elf. The tiny elf gasped and made to follow his master. Harry Potter winced as he could almost feel the cane himself. Then he realized he still had the diary on his person. He pulled it out and then took off one of his socks.

Harry ran back to catch Mr. Malfoy on his way out and panted, "Sir, I think this is yours, I forgot to give it to Headmaster Dumbledore." Lord Malfoy stilled and turned around, glaring at Potter, the infamous Boy who Lived, holding out the Dark Lord's now brutalized possession. Mr. Malfoy grabbed the book and thrust it to his house elf. "Well, I do hope that you will still be alive the next time someone is in danger…" Harry puffed up his chest and replied, "Don't worry, I will be." Mr. Malfoy walked back and made his way to the exit. Harry looked quickly at his elf and told him to open the book.

Mr. Malfoy's house elf opened it and gasped. "Master gave Dobby a sock! Master gave Dobby clothes, Dobby is free!" Mr. Malfoy snarled turned around and whipped out his wand. "You will pay for that Potter! You lost me my servant!" Dobby then stepped in front of him and blasted Lord Malfoy's curse back at him. Harry grinned silly at the sight of Lord Malfoy flying back to the hallway's entrance.

Fuming the man exited the castle and his previous house elf turned around and looked at Harry in awe. "How can Dobby ever thank you kind sir!?" Dobby spoke reverantly. Harry just smiled and said, "Well Dobby, for now you can ask the Headmaster for a job here at Hogwarts. If I need a house elf in the future, I won't hesitate to call you." Dobby sobbed and hugged Harry's pant leg. Harry chuckled and told Dobby where the Headmaster's office is and left for Gryffindor Tower.

The last two weeks at Hogwarts passed quickly, most of the students, including Hermione were put back to full health. Daphne did fuss over him after he told her the story of fighting the baskalisk. He did ask the Headmaster not to be sent back to the Dursley's for the summer, but as expected he refused giving his previous excuses. Harry sighed accepted it and boarded the train. He sat with Ron and Hermione. They had a fun time playing gobstones and chess. Prior to boarding the train, he made plans with Daphne about leaving the Dursley's after three weeks.

Author's Note: Thank you for following & favoriting this story! The next chapter will diverge a bit from the main plot. Head's up I probably won't post the next chapter until early May.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**:

Harry Potter arrived at Kings Cross Station with the rest of his classmates to head home for the summer. After waving goodbye to Hermione and Ron, he was immediately ambushed by Daphne. She slipped a notebook in his pocket and told him it was an easy way for them to communicate this summer. Harry thanked her and told her of his plan to get out of the Dursley house without arising any suspicion from Dumbledore. Her eyes lit up and gave him a fierce hug. He promised to contact her when possible.

He hauled his trunk and owl through the passage way and met a glaring Uncle Vernon who was waiting impatiently by the car. Harry didn't say a word and put his stuff in the car trunk and sat in the back. They drove off to Little Winging Surrey. Once they approached the terrible, but normal #4 Privet Drive, Harry had an idea that just might work. He cleared his throat nervously and said, "Uncle Vernon, I may have a proposition for you," Harry asked. Uncle Vernon glared at him from the driver's mirror. "What is it boy?" Harry calmed himself and said, "Well, if Headmaster Dumbledore really did put blood wards on your house to keep me here, I'm wondering if I could perform a small ritual to sever the wards. This will allow me to leave and you won't have to deal with me again." Uncle Vernon growled, "So no more summers with you boy, eh?" Harry nodded affirming the plan. "Well, what does this ahh, ritual do?" Harry nodded silently applauding Uncle Vernon using the correct terminology. "I will need Aunt Petunia for it, but I promise it won't hurt her one bit. All it will do will sever the ward." Harry could tell his Uncle was trying hard to use his overly large brain of his. "Fine! But do it quick so we can get rid of you!" Harry smiled triumphantly. He got his stuff from the car and set it on the front porch. His Uncle heaved his fat self from the car and waddled into the house calling for his Aunt.

Harry met Aunt Petunia in the kitchen. She was wearing a long sleeve purple dress with an apron already making treats for Dudley when he got home. Harry asked her if Uncle Vernon explained his idea, she nodded nervously and agreed to it, after all she was sick and tired of following Dumbledore's rules too. Harry walked her through her lines and pulled out his wand gently. Aunt Petunia flinched a little but looked straight into Harry's green eyes. He clasped his left hand with hers and began reciting the ritual in latin.

"Mea mater est sanguis per venas in tua. Etiamsi haec patria est mihi annis tenetur, inquam, et quo foedere earum magicae meis removeri. Sic fiat semper."

Technically, Harry didn't use a spell so the magic wasn't detected from his wand, he just preformed a Goblin ritual which didn't alert the 'trace'. Aunt Petunia's eyes widened at the display of magic eminating from his wand that swirled around their hands and then vanished almost instantly. The deed was done. Harry Potter no longer called #4 Privet Drive home. He was a free young man.

Aunt Petunia looked down at Harry and nodded in acceptance. Harry thanked her and asked them politely if the Headmaster came knocking to lie and say that he still lived here. They agreed as long as they didn't have to deal with him again and he took off down the street towards the nearest town. After a while he thought it would looks suspicious hauling his trunk and owl down the street. Harry whispered to himself, "If only I could have a house elf like Dobby right now". After a couple of minutes Harry almost jumped out of his skin. There on the street next to him was Dobby! Harry blinked a couple of times and stared at the little elf.

"Hello sir!" "Did young Mister Potter just call for Dobby?" The little excitable elf asked who was now bouncing on his heels. Harry almost didn't recognize the elf, he wasn't wearing those disgusting rags his previous masters forced him in, but a clean nice Hogwarts uniform. "I guess so?" Harry stammered not quite sure what to make of this new situation.

Dobby explained, "Well Mister Potter, you did wish to see me correct? We house elves answer to any call within our reach." Harry nodded and said "Well Dobby, I guess I did." "If you don't mind I am trying to get to a larger city to find a place to stay. I just managed to leave my Aunt's house." Dobby nodded and stated, "Well sir, if I can make suggestion?"

Harry nodded for him to go on, "You can always stay in Bellman's Hideaway. It is the lesser known wizarding section in London, England." Harry smiled at the idea, "Sounds perfect Dobby, could you take me there?" Dobby nodded and grabbed his trunk and his arm, Harry grabbed Hedwig.

In a flash, Harry landed with a jerk at Bellman's Hideaway. Trying not to vomit he steadied himself and glanced around the place. It was huge! So much bigger than the tiny Diagon Alley. It was like it immersed itself in muggle London, but still secluded to witches and wizards. The place just seemed to go on and on. Dobby appeared to be drinking in his surroundings as well.

"So Dobby, have you been here before?" He shook his head no with his big ears flapping. "No young sir, I only heard about it from the other house elves at Hogwarts." "I do have to go back to Hogwarts sir, I am happy to be at your service of the Great Harry Potter any day." Dobby bowed low and then disappeared again.

Harry shrunk his trunk and owl cage and let Hedwig fly a bit to stretch her wings. He then proceeded to the nearest shop in sight to gather more information. The shop was called, Garrison's Delights, it appeared to be a bakery. Harry stepped in and asked the nearest worker for a map or places to stay. The older lady smiled and pointed him south, she told him he could stay at Pauleen's Inn. Harry thanked her and went on his way. After a mile or two he made it, the tattered sign read Pauleen's Inn, Harry hoped it wasn't too shady. He walked in hesitantly and looked around. He noticed the setup appeared slightly different than the Leaky Cauldron.

There was an older man stationed on his left behind a desk flicking his wand to organize stacks of parchment. Harry approached him and asked for room and board. The price was 10 galleons a night. Harry paid for three nights. The fee included breakfast at the Inn's restaurant. The older man flicked Harry his key and told him his room was on the second floor down the hall. Harry wandered his way up to find his new room, 18. It was nicely tucked away on the end of the second floor.

Harry dropped his trunk and cage on the floor and flopped on the bed. It was comfy with nice cotton sheets and a two extra quilts for warmth. Not really needing to accomplish anything else today Harry drifted off to sleep. Harry woke up feeling more refreshed than he had in a couple of months.

He changed into his second set of casual robes and grabbed his money sack from Gringotts. Before leaving the bank, they gave him an expandable money pouch for his immediate needs. Harry tapped his wand, it looked like he slept through the night it was now 8:30 AM.

He headed down to breakfast and ordered bacon and eggs. Afterwards Harry wanted to explore Bellman's Hideaway so he asked about the best places to visit. The staff told him about a couple of neat places and Harry headed out for a nice day. He decided to do a loop around the south portion of Bellman's Hideaway and saw a couple of shops such as Earl's Bar, Louie's Restaurant, and Danielle's Dessert. It seems most of the places in this portion enjoyed naming their businesses after their own names. Harry continued on until he spotted a more interesting alleyway that contained a bookshop and a creature shop. Harry decided to visit the creature shop out of curiosity.

Harry looked around amazed, it was quite different than the one in Diagon Alley. The shop was long and had different enclaves of a variety of breeds. The shop had everything from owls, toads, snakes, rabbits, and other magical creatures Harry did not even existed.

Harry poked around and wandered to the back of the shop. He then felt a tug on his magic from two of the creatures. One was a bird of some sort, another appeared to be a small to medium size wolf. Once he stepped closer Harry stared at the bird who cocked his head looking at him curiously then the bird coughed out a couple of blue flames. Gaping, Harry couldn't believe his luck, it was a Phoenix! Smiling at the rare creature, Harry held out his hand it cooed at him and he nudged closer. Not wanting to be left out the small wolf like creature growled and wagged its tail as Harry drew closer. Just as he touched the Phoenix he was startled to hear a voice talking in his mind.

"Hello dear one, it seems that our magics are already wishing to establish a bond." Harry gasped and stroked the beautiful Phoenix. Harry asked its name, "Well young one, no one has named me before, so I shall give you the honor if you would like to?" The deep voice said, which sounded male to Harry. Harry nodded eagerly and thought it over for a minute. "How about the name Vale?" Harry asked. The handsome phoenix's bright blue eyes sparkled at the name, "Vale, now that's a handsome and strong name." Harry smiled and held out his arm the phoenix, now respectfully named Vale flew down and nudged his ear. Harry then turned to the young wolf cub that kept winging at him. He knelt down in front of it and held out his hand.

From within the cage the wolf licked his hand and wagged its tail. Then it raised its paw and placed it on Harry's hand. "Hi, I'm excited, you're my first human bond!" It wagged its tail and Harry smiled. The wolf cub was a beauty with its gorgeous gray and white fur mix. Harry extended their bond so he could talk to her. "What is your name young one?" Harry asked. The wolf cub shook her head and like Vale, she didn't have a name yet. "Hmm, how about Thea?" She shook her head and licked his hand. Harry got up and found the store owner.

"Hi, I would like to purchase this phoenix and this wolf cub here." Harry asked the man. He was thin with long gray hair and a mustache. He pointed at the phoenix and said "That one there will cost you 100 galleons and the wolf cub will cost you 50 galleons." Harry's eyes rose at the price but decided against bargaining. It was London after all. He paid quickly along with a couple of extra cages and walked back to the inn he was staying at to drop them off.

It was now around 11 o'clock in the morning so Harry headed back to the bookstore that looked appealing to him. The bookstore shop was more ancient looking than the one in Diagon Alley, the name, Wilshire Nook. It looked small on the outside but something kept pulling him to go in and look around. Once Harry stepped inside he was startled to see how well organized Wilshire Nook looked. Categories included Magical Creatures, Spell Casting, Ancient Ruins, Charms, Transfiguration and the like. Harry grabbed a basket and picked up intermediate to advanced texts on his school subjects and then perused the aisles further. He picked up some texts about the inner workings of the Ministry, Law, and Magical Jobs.

Further back he found a more interesting section on Obscure Magicks. Harry picked out the ones he liked ranging from Beginner to Advanced. Some of these topics included Weapon Making, Art of Elemental Magic, Animagus Theory, Occluding the Mind, Defensive Tactics, Advanced Dueling, The Art of Spell Creation, Practical Ancient Ruins, and Shadow Casting. Harry decided that would be enough for today.

He hauled his basket to the register. The young lady widened her eyes as she saw his load, Harry reassured her that he had enough to cover the cost. She nodded and quickly tailled up the charges. All in all, his bill came to $130 galleons. Harry felt satisfied and hauled his bag back to the inn.

It was about 3'oclock when Harry decided to get a bite to eat. The resturant was called Jackelyn's Bite. He had a hot bowl of chicken soup and salad. Harry then asked the staff if there was a luggage shop in Bellman's Hideaway. The waiter nodded and directed him to Kingston Trunks and Travels. Harry thanked him, paid for his meal and went off to find the luggage shop.

Kingston Trunks and Travels looked more modern on the outside than the couple shops Harry had already visited that morning. He walked in and was blown away by the selection of magical trunks, backpacks, side handbags and other practical traveling items a witch or wizard might need. Harry poked around and wandered to the more fancy looking trunks. He was astonished that they could be modified and created just for the user's individual needs. Harry found the Specialty Trunk Catelog and pulled it closer to read about the specs. He took out the Customer Card and began filling out what he would need for his new trunk.

Name: Harry Evans

Levels: 7

Level 1: Living room, entertainment room

Level 2: Kitchen, food pantry, dining room

Level 3: Master bedroom, washroom, wardrobe

Level 4: Guest bedrooms & washrooms

Level 5: Expandable Library with study rooms, personal office, study

Level 6: Greenhouse, Potions Lab, ingrediant stockroom

Level 7: Gym, Dueling room, vault storage

Trunk Decoration:

Hard Case: Metallic Gray

Emblem:

Potter/Ether Crests

Wards:

blood ward, password protected, anti-theft, lightweight charm, shrinking charm

Harry felt satisfied with his order and headed to the man running the shop. His name read Greg Kingston, Store Manager. The man raised his eyebrows and stared at Harry for a full minute. "So…you are looking to purchase one of our luxury trunks here, eh boy?" Harry nodded expectantly. "You look quite young lad, are you sure you have enough to cover the fee, it will cost you a pretty galleon." Harry replied, "I have enough to cover the fee sir, if you need a down payment I can do that as well." Mr. Kingston seemed impressed by him so he waved it off trusting Harry to come up with the full price. "Well young lad, one last question for you now… Is your name really Harry Evans or Harry Potter?"

Harry winced at the now obvious mistake, it seems this man was sharp as a tack. "Yes, sir, I am Harry Potter, I am just trying to keep a low profile." The Store Manager let out a barking laugh and smiled at Harry. "Well, you look just like your father, but your eyes are all Lily!" Harry stood there stunned not expecting running into anyone who knew his parents personally. "You, you knew my parents sir?" Harry stammared out running a hand through his hair.

"That I did son, and it was such a shame when I heard that You Know Who got to them on that night. They were both quite talented. I went to Hogwarts with them you see, no one could best James at Transfiguration and well Lily, she was the top of her year." Harry smiled now eager to hear more about his parents from this man. Upon seeing Harry's eager expression, Mr. Kingston sighed and crossed his arms, "Unfortunately young Potter, that is all I know…I would tell you more if I could, but I wasn't among their tight group of friends. Maybe if you can find him, contact a man called Remus Lupin. He would be more of a help to you than I would." Harry nodded accepting his assistance.

After placing his order with Kingston he began making his way back to the inn he was staying at until another shop caught his eye. Harry wandered over to the next shop, he knew his wand fairly well and it worked okay, but something was off about it. It was almost as if it strenghtened the connection between him and Lord Voldemort. His Holly and Phoenix wand was making more vulnerable to Lord Voldemort's cursed magic.

Harry Potter wandered over to the wand shop and met bright fellow named Tristan Pallman. He had darker skin, and looked to be in his mid 40's. "Hello sir, I am here to get a new wand, mine doesn't appear to be the right fit." Harry exclaimed to the store owner. Mr. Pallman smiled and nodded to the young lad in front of him. He then in a manner that this young lad would understand explained how he fitted wands to witches and wizards.

"If I may ask some preliminary questions first, then we can get started on finding you a proper wand, how does that sound, young lad?" Mr. Pallmn asked his new customer. Harry nodded eagerly.

"Where did you acquire the wand that you know have in your pocket?"

"Diagon Alley at Ollivanders when I first started at Hogwarts." Harry replied.

"Ahh, that might be your issue, see what young Hogwarts students are not told about Ollivanders and other wand shop such as his, is that those wand makers buy bulk material such as Dragon cores, creature feathers, and the like along with typical wood that bends to magic creators and hope that they match a little over 50% of a young witch or wizards magic core." Harry gasped at this, this totally made sense of why his Holly wand might not be the best fit.

"My wand shop is somewhat controversial in the eyes of the 'commercial wand sellers'. My wand lore philosophy is to allow my customers to pick out each material individually and then add ruins and other unique attributes to the wand per customer request." Harry smiled at this, Mr. Pallman certaintly knew his stuff!

"Sounds great, sir! Where do we start?" Harry asked politely. Mr. Pallman brought him to his work area where he had all sorts of materials and wand lore books. He had several boxes labeled wand cores, wand woods, magical creature feathers…etc., stones, gems, and more. Mr. Pallman told him to place his wand hand in each box and feel for his magical core. This would allow to see if any pieces would work.

-wand wood mix:

Red Oak (ideal master is light of touch, quick-witted and adaptable, often the creator of distinctive spells, and good person to have beside in a fight) &

Laurel (known to perform powerful and sometimes lethal magic)

Wand core:

-thunderbird tail feather

Wand Additions:

-protection, defense, power, and recovery ruins

Mr. Pallman whistled at Harry's wand choices. "Well Mr. Potter, it seems that you are a young powerful wizard!" Harry winced, it appeared that Mr. Pallman already knew who he was when he stepped in his shop. He chuckled, and said, "Never fear, Mr. Potter, I won't reveal your name to anyone. You're wand will be ready by tomorrow afternoon." Harry thanked the man and left the shop.

Harry felt tired and drained from his long shopping day. He walked back to the inn he was staying at after climbing up to his room he unlocked his door and was greeted by his new familiars. Vale his phoenix, and Thea, his wolf cub. He let Thea out of her cage and she yipped and jumped on his bed wagging her tail. Harry laughed and gave her some attention. Vale took a more serious approach, "You sir, need sleep, Thea child, let the poor lad sleep" Harry chuckled and ran his hand through Vale's handsome feathers. Vale responded with a hum. Harry let Thea curl up by his feet after changing into his PJs and promptly feel asleep.

Author's Note: Thank you all for your patience, I hope it was worth the wait! I hope you enjoyed Harry's trip to Bellman's Hideaway.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Albus Dumbledore was enjoying his nice quite summer at his private estate in Southern England. It was a large estate, holding at least 20 acres of private land. He let his mind wander from reading an old text on Transfiguration Spell-casting. Albus thought last year went better than anticipated given the circumstances with the Chamber of Secrets. Now as the Headmaster of the most prestigious wizarding school in Europe, he was thankful that no student died while the monster was unleashed through the school.

The School Board of Governors were down his throat this year. Although, Albus knew some were in Lucius Malfoy's pocket, he knew that Lord Malfoy slipped the diary into Miss. Weasley's hands. Thankfully, Mr. Potter was there to save the poor girl. It wouldn't due to be at the wrath of Molly and Arthur Weasley. Ahh, yes, Mr. Potter. His plan for the boy was turning out nicely.

Albus Dumbledore always prided himself on playing the _Long-Game_. Ever since he defeated Grindewald in their infamous last battle, Albus hatched his first pieces of the _Long-Game_. The first step was to secure the position of Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Which he rightfully claimed after Headmaster Dippet retired. Once he achieved that goal he trifled through what he thought Hogwarts should teach and what should be removed. Albus did away with many extracurricular classes such as dueling, animagus training, as well as ancient and obscure magic's. It wouldn't due to teach the younger generations these skills. They should be reserved for himself and other elite wizards of the wizarding community. After cutting the curriculum over the years Hogwarts fell into a more structured and controlled environment. An environment where Albus could monitor the younger generation at ease with peace and mind. The Light should always be at the fore-front of the new generation to deter any new young wizards to fall into Tom Riddle's ideals.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Meanwhile, Harry Potter woke up feeling refreshed from his long day. He was excited, Harry was finally getting a proper wand today. He put on some casual brown and tan robes and headed downstairs with a smile on his face. Harry breathed in the morning air, Bellman's Hideaway wasn't too busy today from the usual, so that was a plus. He reached the wand shop at 9:30.

Harry Potter walked into the wand shop and was greeted once again by Mr. Pallman.

"Hello Mr. Potter! Are you ready to get your wand?" He asked joyfully. Harry nodded eagerly. Mr. Pallman reached for a dark wand box on the counter and put it in front of him. Harry impatiently ripped open the box and grasped his new wand. The effect was immediate.

Harry's magical core ignited! He never felt more alive or powerful. Granted he just had his magical blocks removed so everything was new to him but, _wow_! Everything started to pulse and hum, like it was meant to be…Harry gasped he watched as gold and silver light pulsed throughout the room. Overwhelmed with his raw magical core exploding like never before, he timidly put the wand back in the box and went to find a chair to sit down.

Mr. Pallman blinked a couple of times and gasped as well, this boy truly was special! He never seen anything like this in all his years with wand making. The way the Mr. Potter's core reacted was breath taking.

"Well Mr. Potter, it seems that you do have a unique destiny on your side!" Mr. Pallman exclaimed to the recovering wizard. Harry groaned and replied, "Why me!" He happily paid for his new powerful wand and left to go back to his inn.

Harry found a bite to eat at one of the restaurants and then went back to the Inn. He felt like he had enough of Bellman's Hideaway and decided to make a second appointment at Gringotts. He owled the wizarding bank and made an appointment for the next day.

Harry Potter called Dobby and asked him to take him to Gringotts bank. Dobby happily accepted and whisked him away to Diagon Alley.

He appeared at the entrance at 10:00 sharp. One of the bank teller goblin's brought Harry to Noomark's office. His Account and Family Asset manager greeted him with a toothy smile. Harry bowed slightly in return and took his seat across his desk.

"So Lord Potter, according to your letter you requested to see me about finding a suitable home for your summers at Hogwarts, correct?" Harry nodded and replied.

"Yes Noomark, I recently left my relatives home and I am in need of a place to stay. I am hoping that one of my family homes will work."

Noomark nodded and pulled a stack of parchment towards him. "If I may Mr. Potter, I believe the Potter Manor in Northern Scotland might meet your current needs. Physically it contains five stories, however they are enhanced via expansion wards. It contains a master suite, a half floor library, two studies, indoor and outdoor garden, potions lab, fitness center, dueling room, and more."

"That seems acceptable Noomark, how do I get there?" Harry asked uncertainly. Noomark then pulled another box from his drawer and set it in front of Harry. "These are your family rings Lord Potter, once you put them on it makes it official that you are the Lord of each House. However, that said, since you are still in school, I suggest that you accept the Potter Family ring for now and wait on the other two."

"Why is that Noomark?" Harry asked.

"Because, putting on these rings makes you officially Lord of each house and therefore, you have a seat on the Wizengomet. It will make it an easier transition to take on each house individually when you are ready." Harry agreed with his assessment, he still had a lot to learn. Noomark gave Harry a copy of the Potter Manors property rights, artefacts, portraits, books…etc.

Harry placed the Potter Ring on his right ring finger, the red gem glowed and once he twisted it, Harry Potter apparated to his family home.

Harry Potter gasped at the sight. The Potter Manor sat nestled in front of a breathtakingly beautiful forest. The manor itself was a stunning view. Its four stories of red brick overlooked several acres of gardens, grassy planes, and a large pond. He gulped as he walked to across the front circle driveway to the ornate mahogany double door. Harry snorted at the brass lion knocker, his father would put his Gryffindor stamp on the front door! He knocked a couple of times and waited.

The front door opened and he was greeted by an old looking house elf. "Welcome back, Mr. Potter!" The elder house elf bowed low and introduced himself as Elfridge, head of all house elves at the Potter Manor.

Harry Potter greeted Elfridge and replied, "Do you mean I lived here once Elfridge?"

Elfridge responded, "Yes, Mr. Potter your beloved parents raised you here until they hide away at Godric's Hallow. But, please do come in, us house elves have been waiting patiently to meet you."

Harry Potter stepped through the doorway and gasped as he felt the wards accept him into his childhood home. He looked around in awe. The ground floor of the home was made of ornate marble flooring, the entry way had a tall stone fireplace in the center with surrounding leather chairs for guests to enjoy. To his right was an ornate mahogany staircase leading up to the second floor. To his left appeared to be the two hallways as well as another staircase that went down to the lower level.

Elfridge smiled at Mr. Potter's appreciation and awe at the size of the Potter Manor. He remembered the missive he was sent by Noomark, the goblin in charge of the Potter Family's assets, it appeared to be correct that Mr. Potter didn't have a happy childhood living with Mrs. Potter's sister. One could only imagine the shame they brought onto this family.

"Can I get a tour?" Harry asked grinning widely, he couldn't wait to see the home that is rightfully his. Elfridge nodded, "Of course, Mr. Potter, but you'll have to meet your house elves first."

Elfridge clapped his hands and a total of 6 house elves appeared. The head house elf had them introduce themselves one by one.

"I am Pippy, head chef"

"I am Elly, head cleaner"

"I am Ollie, head gardener"

"I am Willie, head animal care"

"I am Hollie, cleaner"

"I am Minnie, cleaner"

Elfridge then told them that this was Harry Potter their new master and he will be staying at the Potter Manor for the summer. The house elves bowed and popped back to their duties.

Elfridge then showed him the Potter Manor. The ground floor consisted of a grand ballroom for guest dinners and extravagant parties as well as a few guest rooms and a lounge area. Then they went downstairs to the basement which truly blew Harry away. He could tell the basement had been magically expanded to fit all of his parents' needs. It contained a total of five sections. One section contained a beautifully pristine potions lab that would blow Professor Snape away, it was stocked to the brim with supplies and ingredients as well. The next room looked like it was reinforced with concrete and heavy wards. Which immediately peaked Harry's interest.

"Ahh, yes, the next room contains your father's favorite, the Dueling Room and Weapons Storage".

Elfridge then waved his hand and they bypassed the wards to enter. Harry gasped, although he had no training what so ever in dueling or weapons, he could see his Dad spending his free time here. The layout was efficient with several nice touches. The dueling stage was large probably a good thirty yards long, it looked to be made of heavy steel. The back wall was lined with glass cabinets containing hundreds of unique looking muggle and magical weapons, all looked menacing.

Elfridge smiled when he saw Lord Potter's awed expression. He commented, "Yes, I remember a day long ago when your father was getting used to dueling your mother. I believe they were arguing over something quite miniscule and your dear mother well, she gave your father a good thrashing on the dueling floor!" Harry smiled, drinking in this entire story.

After the dueling room, Elfridge showed Harry the third floor which consisted of the largest library he had ever seen. Elfridge then led Harry over to Entertainment room which contained a large screen television, video games with black leather couches. The other rooms on this floor consisted of guest rooms. Harry wish he could recall some of his memories of his time here before Godric's Hallow.

The fourth floor consisted of the master bedroom, which had a large king bed on the left with an oak desk on the right wall. The left wall contained a beautiful large window overlooking the grounds below with a light blue plush window seat. Elfridge then walked Harry over to the two doors on the right one consisted of the master bath which reminded Harry of the prefect's bathroom at Hogwarts. It had timeless white marble flooring with a large marble tub and shower.

The next room across the hall had Harry's room in red lettering on the door. Harry sucked in his breath and opened the door slowly. It was a large baby room with a beautiful oak crib, a trunk full of toys, an oak dresser and changing table, along with magical shining stars on the ceiling. On the right there was bookcase full of children books organized by age.

Harry Potter's emotions ran through him like a tidal wave. He went over to his former bed sat down and held his head in his hands. Anger, sadness, and frustration all ran through his mind. Not even realizing that he was silently crying, a trick he learned being locked in the cupboard for years, Harry angrily wiped his tears away and looked up at Elfridge.

"What can I do to make things right? How can I avenge my parents' lives? How can I live up to the Potter name?" Harry asked breathlessly, still furious at Dumbledore and all his lies along with his waisted years at the Dursleys.

Eflridge nodded solemnly at Lord Potter's emotional response and kneeled down next to him on the floor.

"You can train and hone your physical, and mental states along with your magical core. You have already made your parents proud young man, by looking after yourself, when no one would." Elfridge replied and stood back up and motioned Harry to follow him out the bedroom door.

"Please, Lord Potter, get some well deserved rest in the master bedroom, it is rightfully yours after all. Tomorrow, whenever you are ready, we will form a plan to train you to be the strongest wizard you can be."

Harry Potter thanked Elfridge for his kind words and pulled on some pajamas already laid out for him and crawled in the large bed. He fell asleep within minutes of resting his head on the silk pillow.

Author's Note:

I apologize for the late update. I wanted to push this out before my trip.

Thank you for the 400 + followers! I am pleased that you all like the story so far.

For the couple hater reviews: there are over 800,000 HP fan stories on the site, feel free to

read other stories and stop hating on mine!

I plan to update near the end of July.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Harry Potter woke up and stretched his whole body. It felt weird sleeping in a bed that felt like it was fit for a king. The silk blue sheets felt heavenly. Finally deciding to reach for his wand he casted a quick tempus charm, which flashed 10:15 AM. Amazed that he slept in so long, Harry pulled back the covers and ambled his way to the bathroom. Blinking a couple of times as the sun shown through the window pane he turned on the faucet and splashed some cold water on his face. Then he decided to open the master bedroom closet and simply gaped at the sheer size.

The master bedroom closet, wait scratch that, the walk-in wardrobe was magically expanded. Harry thought it doubled the size of the master bedroom itself. The high ceiling was a light gray with a pretty chandelier that presented a nice soft glow throughout the closet. On the left side consisted of his father's robes along with muggle outfits and on the right side consisted of his mothers' robes and muggle outfits. Harry gravitated toward her robes for a bit, the soft fabric felt cool to touch. He gathered up the robe and smelled it. It smelled like fresh lilies from the garden. He looked to his left and noticed a shelf consisting of a few glass bottles of perfume. Deciding to pick out one of his Dad's pair of jeans and a dark green long sleeve top, he charmed them to shrink to his size.

Calling one of the house elves, shaking his head at the fact that he'd have to get used to owning not one, but several! He could almost imagine his friend Hermione _throwing a book at him_….his thoughts trailed off as he was interrupted by a soft pop.

"Good morning Lord Potter, how can Minnie assist you today?" The thin, but sturdy house elf asked as she bowed in greeting. Harry dragged his right hand through his messy locks and replied.

"Erm, yeah hi Minnie…no need to bow every time you meet me, not really necessary. Yeah, can you show me where Elfridge is this morning?" Minnie bobbed her head and motioned him to follow her.

The Potter manor had a nice soft glow as the morning sun gleamed in from across the hills. Harry was beginning to appreciate his mother's decorating tastes.

Harry met Elfridge in the dining room. The dining room consisted of a beautifully constructed oak wood table with matching chairs. It could easily seat at least ten people. Harry sat down awkwardly at the head of the table with Elfridge on his right. One of the other elves served them their breakfast which consisted of eggs over easy, toast, and bacon.

Elfridge let Harry enjoy his breakfast before jumping into their proposed time table. He wanted Harry prepared as much as possible. Lord and Lady Potter were the nicest family a house elf like himself could ask for and he wasn't about to let them down.

"Now Lord Potter, if I can make some suggestions…I think this timetable I wrote up will help schedule out the rest of your summer." Elfridge hesitantly placing it next to the young Lord. He knew that most young wizards his age would want to fill their summer holidays with Quidditch and friends. But, he could tell his young Lord Potter was brought up differently, and with that difference he faced maturity at very young age due to his terrible relatives.

Harry accepted Elfridge's timetable and smiled, it was actually a muggle notebook, probably thanks to his mother who know doubt did away with old parchment and ink stains as quickly as she could outside of school.

Summer Training Schedule: Month of July

Breakfast: 7 o'clock sharp

Morning Exercise: 7:30 – 8:30 AM

Mind Training: Occlumency

Memory Training: Eidetic Memory Practice

Shadow Training: Stealth, Transportation, and Tactics

Magical Core Training: Ancient Rune rituals for boosting core

Family Magic Training: Potter Spells, Shielding, and dueling

Advanced Training: Elemental & Metamorphic basics

Harry Potter had a horrible feeling that the rest of the summer was not going to be kind to him. He could very well kiss his dates with Daphne goodbye, they were after all still new to each other. Harry looked back up at Elfridge with a grimace, "No offense Elfridge, but do you really think we can get this all done in one month?" Elfridge grinned somewhat mischievously and replied,

"Oh yes Lord Potter, we will indeed, all though you may be a wee bit sore physically once September 1st rolls around!" Elfridge laughed. Harry grimaced and asked him where they should start.

"Well the gym of course!" Harry groaned slightly and got up from the table and followed Elfridge to the gym. The gym was located on the same floor, however it was tucked away on the right-side corner of the Potter Manor. Harry was impressed again once the door opened and revealed a full muggle gym equipped with heavy weight lifting bench press bars.

"It took your father some convincing to put this beauty in the manor. But once he began using it he liked the physical changes immensely. Now, I don't have a set schedule for your workout routine yet, but even with the healing work the goblins did back at Gringotts, you're still a bit underfed and need some extra physical strength and endurance." Harry silently agreed with Elfridge even though he was not looking forward to the muscle pain that he knew would come later.

Harry Potter exercised for three hours before Elfridge called it quits. Drenched in sweat he guzzled his water while Elfridge made a Talley of what he accomplished today.

"So, you've achieved an hour long run on the treadmill, you started bench-pressing at 100 pounds, and you can lift 40 pound free weights in both arms. Not bad at all for starters Lord Potter!" Harry winced as he felt a cramp in his arms and continue to glare at Elfridge whom he now thought of as a slave driver. Elfridge just chuckled at his misery and told him to shower and meet him in the library in thirty minutes.

Harry dragged his sweaty ass out of the gym and made his way to the master suite. He took his sweet time in the shower and magically dried himself and picked out a casual set of clothes for the rest of the day. On his bedside table lay the journal Daphne snuck in his bag at Kings Cross. He grabbed it and noticed an entry he would have to read later in the library. Feeling a little guilty since he hadn't updated her in a while Harry would start writing to her tonight.

Elfridge was already waiting for him in the beautiful library that made Harry feel like he was truly home. He could just feel his mother's touch throughout the room. It was magically expanded as well, as much as she desired.

"Follow me Lord Potter, I will show you your knew study room where you'll be doing all of your additional academic and extra curricular training from here on out." Harry nodded and followed him through the library. They stopped on the back right hand side where they approached a medium sized study room.

Harry noticed a photo on the beautiful red oak desk. It was a magical photo of his mother and what he assumed were her close friends at Hogwarts. Lily was smiling and waving with her three friends.

Elfridge smiled, "Ah, yes, Lily's dorm mates at Hogwarts, from left to right, Marlene McKinnon, Andromeda Black, and Alice Longbottom." Harry smiled at picked up the photo, his mother looked so happy, young, and carefree. He put it down and was directed by Elfridge by the large stack of books on the table next to the study desk.

Elfridge handed Lord Potter the list of books he had picked out personally for him to start studying. He had purposefully chosen most of the texts having to do with magical theory, magical intent, core training, and occlumency. These would put him on the path for the later advanced material.

Harry picked up one from the top and skimmed through the table of contents, "So you do enjoy being my slave driver eh?" Elfridge grinned and replied,

"Oh, you'll thank me later Lord Potter, I believe you can read through this entire stack of material and begin to apply it by the end of the day." Harry replied that it was impossible.

"Do you remember what the goblins said after your healing session? You have an exceedingly rare gift Lord Potter. A gift of near-perfect memory, Editec memory really. I would like you to practice it today and then I will test it later this evening. If you get hungry, call Pippy who will make you dinner." Harry nodded and accepted his new challenge from Elfridge. "Oh and the washroom is out this door to the left."

Elfridge closed the door quietly behind him and Harry plopped himself down on the overstuffed leather chair and grabbed one from the top. It was a rather dry book called the _Fundamentals of Magical Intent_. Harry read through it rather fast a couple of times he grabbed a muggle notebook and took some notes on the best way to cast spells, charms, and transfiguration. He really should have paid attention more in his first year at Hogwarts.

After just four hours Harry realized that he really did have near-perfect memory recall. He wasn't sure exactly why, maybe it was his traumatic past when he was a year old, or his previous abuse living with the Dursleys. If he concentrated enough he speeded up his reading ability and got through most of the textbooks on the table that Elfridge set out for him, which were about twenty in all. After finishing those he wanted to start clearing his mental landscape and started to meditate on all the information he just processed. The Fundamentals of Occlumency helped him in this case.

Harry thought hard for a moment and learned to relax his previously emotional mental scape. Now after concentrating he had a clear head and he allowed all the knowledge he acquired to flow through like water. He decided that an interesting landscape would be a rocky beach overlooking the ocean. Harry thought about where he would store his most vulnerable and precious memories that Voldemort could use against him. The rocks and pebbles would be a distraction and the ocean would be his protection. Feeling a connection with the Earth Harry felt his magical core strengthen and pull towards deep within the ground.

As a young Elemental, Harry began gathering these new magical cords that began to wrap themselves around his core as he used his wand to make a hole deep below the surface but not quite close to the Earth's large hot core. This new task was difficult and exhausting but after another two hours he succeeded and pushed all of his vulnerable and important memories there before closing the hole he created.

After that task, Harry called the head-chef house elf who made him some dinner. He ate his dinner quickly and then focused on where he would store all of his knowledge from the other textbooks.

Since the ocean would be his main protection, and the rocks and pebbles would cause distractions, Harry decided that he would make a path only known to himself and expand his mental landscape. He wanted to build a forest containing a couple of acres, large enough to contain a unique library in the center of the forest. Harry cleared enough space to build his library. The outside appeared to be a nice oak shade, but it was reinforced with metal steel on the inside in case someone had the brilliant idea to burn it down. Within this steel casing held multiple expandable stacks of shelving units all properly aligned and labelled. Harry placed each text that he read in its proper place. From then Harry quizzed himself on individual page numbers from a couple of different texts and after some practice he was able to recall the terms or theory from those pages.

Harry Potter called Elfridge, he felt he completed his most of the challenge Elfridge gave him enough to where he could call it quits for tonight. He was after all, incredibly drained of his magical core after his first encounter with the Earth Elements and building his Occlumency skills. Elfridge popped in and asked him if he was ready for his test.

"Okay, Lord Potter, let's see, how about the text on Occlumency, page 325?" Harry Potter took a deep breath and closed his eyes, he jogged to his library in the forest in his mind and pulled out the book in question. He then recited that page word for word. He opened his eyes and saw Elfridge laughing and smiling at him.

"Congrats, Lord Potter, I believe you are a natural Occlumens along with your ability of near-perfect memory. Don't worry it isn't my place to ask how you did it, just the fact that you did is impressive enough!" Elfridge replied, still smiling.

Harry grinned in relief grateful that he passed his first challenge. Elfridge then checked the time, it was now 8:00 PM. He freed Harry up for the next couple of hours giving a chance to write his note to Daphne.

Dear _My darling Daphne_,

**I cannot believe that it has already been two months since we left Hogwarts. A lot has changed for me and I hope you'll forgive me for this long over-due letter. To say the least I'll write in detail so you won't give me a cold shoulder for the rest of the summer! **

**So for starters, I am free of the Dursleys! I no longer their house servant and subjegated to unnecessary abuse. Soon after I left, I ran into Dobby and he led me to Bellman's Hideaway, a neat district in magical London, England. I found two cool familiars, a cub wolf named Theia, and get this, an actual Phoenix named Vale! They are both amazing and get along great. **

**After that I met with my Gringotts account manager and I am now in charge of the Potter Family account. This means I am spending the rest of the summer in my family home! I hope you are able to come visit me sometime. I currently only have some slightly crazy house elves to chat with. **

**The head-elf, named Elfridge, set up a rigorous training schedule for me. He's making me work out and test my new found abilities. Anyway I hope this finds you well. **

**How is your summer going? I hope your family isn't driving you too crazy! What's your schedule like, do you have any time off in August? **

**Love, Harry P. **

Harry was pleased with his letter put the notebook away in his bag. Then he grabbed it and left the study area, relieved himself in the washroom and toured the library some more. The library was indeed quite large, he almost felt selfish for not writing Hermione about it. He noticed an old book on a pedestal in the center aisle of the library. Harry walked up to it and read the cover, it was a beautiful black leather bound text with green Celtic engravings on it with the Potter Crest in the middle. The title read the _**Potter Family Trust**_. Curiosity got the best of him and Harry carefully picked it up and placed it his bag.

A very exhausted, both physically and mentally Harry Potter trudged up to the master bedroom to change into some pajamas and get some sleep. He set his bag on the desk and resized a pair of his father's old PJs. He smiled not really looking at them before he put them on, they had tiny red and gold snitches on the pant legs. Harry crawled into the large bed and fell asleep fast.

Author's Note: Thank you again dear readers for your patience! Now that it is August, I will most likely be posting twice a month. I plan on dragging this story out, so don't get too impatient with me. Yes, I read my previous chapters and laughed a bit, I promise to edit more before publishing! This was Harry's transition into the Potter Manor and onto his new training regimen.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Albus Dumbledore was pacing furiously in his office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He had just apparated back from his vacation early from his Estate. Albus's monitors and alarms started going off a few weeks ago – their sole job was to track Harry Potter's over holidays and summer breaks. Albus called Severus Snape from his office to see about calling an emergency Order meeting.

Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his prestigious headmaster chair and clasped his hands together.

"Ah Severus, please come in, would you care for a lemon drop?" Albus asked pleasantly.

"What now, Albus? You better have a bloody good reason why you flood me in the middle of the night." Severus snapped.

"Harry Potter is officially missing as of this evening." He sighed and stroked his long beard.

"I'm afraid Harry Potter is currently no longer living at the Dursley home. We need to get him back!" Albus exclaimed rustling his robes and banged his knuckles on the headmaster's desk urgently.

Severus Snape almost rolled his eyes at the Headmaster's controlling behavior of the precious Boy-who-Lived. If this were indeed true, then he now owed Minerva M. 20 galleons. They bet last holiday whether or not Mr. Potter would officially run away. Severus bet that he didn't have the backbone for it and would stay, Minerva stated otherwise.

"Well have you sent out a search party yet?" Severus asked impatiently. He could give a damn if the headmaster's precious boy went missing for the summer.

"No, I'm calling in a few members to start searching the nearest muggle towns and possibly London, England" Severus Snape raised an eyebrow.

"Really, you think Potter took on a jolly vacation or something? If you haven't noticed Albus, the boy has grown up over the past year. He stopped hanging around the lazy Weasley boy and actually pays attention in classes." Severus winced as he just gave the golden boy his _first ever_ compliment.

Albus frowned and replied, "Is there someone in particular that he has been hanging out with between classes that you have noticed?"

Severus replied, "Other than the Know-it-all, he seems to be building a relationship with two girls from my own house, surprisingly enough."

Albus stroked his beard and asked, "Oh and who might that be?"

"I believe he has created a little study group with Daphne Greengrass, Tracey Davis, and Hermione Granger." He supplied curious now how the headmaster would react.

Albus shook his head, too afraid to start picturing his plans falling apart already. He specifically placed that boy with his muggle Aunt and Uncle who were under maximum compulsion charms to treat the boy poorly so he could develop his passivity to him. Albus also placed the boy at the Weasley residence so he could be eventually introduced to the youngest, Miss. Weasley, whom he thought he could start a marriage contract. The Weasley family were diligent Order members and quite poor in the eyes of the pureblood elite and could benefit from the boy's extensive financial holdings.

Tired of a lack of response, Severus stood up and prepared to take the fireplace back to his private quarters. Albus nodded and let the man go, he would call up a search party for the following weekend, hitting all of the hotspots around England that Mr. Potter might be inclined to visit.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

The Greengrass manor was quiet on Wednesday morning. Their house elves were currently hard at work as usual and the two youngest girls of the manor, one Miss. Daphne Greengrass and Miss. Astoria Greengrass were still in their large bedrooms just waking up for the day.

Daphne Greengrass groaned as she opened her eyes, it was still Wednesday, maybe she could convince her mother with Astoria to go shopping. Not that she needed anything, but one could always find _something_ of interest. Daphne pulled back her dark purple comforter with matching purple sheets and walked to her private bathroom. Her bathroom was designed specifically to her tastes, it contained a beautiful tub with magicked water spouts for different water pressure abilities as well as a standing shower.

Daphne yawned and glanced at herself in the mirror, her usual sleek blonde hair was a terrible mess. She shook her head and grabbed her brush. Daphne's brush wasn't your typical muggle brush, it was a gift from her mother one year for Christmas. It not only straightened your hair it also contained different spells to which style you wished for your hair on any particular day. Once her hair was properly straightened, she then decided on a high bun. Daphne gave her command to the brush and waited until her hair magically fell into place. She was blessed with fine features from an early age so she didn't particularly need or care for makeup as some girls did these days.

She finished her morning routine and decided on what to wear. Before she stepped into her walk-in wardrobe, Daphne glanced at her silver nightstand and saw her linked diary actually glowed. Smiling for the first time that morning, she hopped on her bed and grabbed it to read his first entry.

After reading his note, Daphne clutched the diary to her chest tightly leaked a couple of tears. Despite all the official contract stuff they signed with her parents, it warmed her heart to know that Harry Potter really did love her. She wasn't really sure why yet, as they were both so young still. But, there was one thing that Daphne now knows for certain, their future marriage wouldn't be in vain.

Daphne quickly went to her study desk on the right side of the room in front of the window and penned her reply.

My Dearest Harry,

I am pleased you remembered our diary! Your summer sounds like a lot more fun than being stuck with those horrible muggles. I have heard of Bellman's Hideaway and have only been there once a couple of years ago. It's a nice place, quite larger than Diagon Alley. I am pleased that you found two familiars, they sound amazing and I can't wait to meet them.

I am so happy that you are now living in the Potter Manor. You deserve to live there after living with your rotten Aunt and Uncle for so long. Your training sounds hard, but keep going, I know it will pay off later!

Love, Daphne

Pleased with her short but sweet response to Harry she closed her diary and tucked it away in her study desk. Daphne then changed into some light airy casual gray robes for the day ahead.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Harry Potter woke up on Friday morning with a groan. He just began training under Elfridge's new regimen and he felt like shit. His muscles were screaming at him and his mind was stretched with intense occlumency training. Eflridge did warn him that he might be 'sore' for the next few weeks. If Harry was honest with himself, he felt like a herd of elephants ran over him.

Harry pushed himself to sit up against the headboard and winced. Out of habit he reached over to the table to grab his glasses, then remembered that he didn't need them anymore after his full-body healing rituals at Gringotts. He found a note and opened it, it was from Elfridge…

"Take these potions daily in the morning for pain, nutrition, and magical core strength".

Harry grimaced and downed the potions one after another, they all tasted terrible. He pushed himself out of bed and freshened up in the washroom. Sighing he stretched his sore muscles which felt remarkably better after the potions. He went to the wardrobe and grabbed a black muscle t-shirt and gray-washed jeans. On second thought he grabbed a jean jacket as well, deciding to go full-muggle today. He grabbed his rucksack and remembered he put the _Potter Trust_ in it last night. Harry made a mental note to explore the old family tome later today. He then unlocked his multiple compartment trunk that he set out on the foot of the master bed and took the stairs down to the living quarters.

After he opened the door to one of the spare bedrooms he was met with a very angry cub wolf, Theia, and his handsome phoenix Vale. Theia growled a bit before sniffing him over and thumping her tail on the carpet. Harry made sure to kneel down and opened his arms before she leaped in and attacked him with licks.

'I am sorry Theia I waited to long to break you guys out of my trunk'. Harry mentally spoke between his familiar bonds.

Theia replied, 'Well we raided your food storage so, you'll have a mess to clean up as punishment!'

Harry chuckled and continued giving his little cub attention. He then glanced up at Vale who looked down at him a bit snobbish and fluffed his wings.

Vale simply stated, 'Take me out of this infernal trunk even with expansion magic I miss the open sky.' Harry smiled and gave them the low down on the Potter manor where they would be staying for now. He then granted them permission to use a guest room and he would have one of the house elves check up on them for meals.

Vale just rolled his eyes, if possible for a phoenix and through their mental link, 'let me outside you moron, so I can hunt for my food!' Harry winced at the loudness of Vale's reply and agreed. They headed out of the trunk and Harry called Pippy to take them to a guest room near his master suite. He told her that they were both allowed outside when they need it and they would respect the boundaries of the manor wards.

Harry Potter ate a quick hearty breakfast consisted of eggs and pancakes today. He then found a note from Elfridge that told him to take a morning jog in the gym before heading down to the library. Harry took off towards the gym looking forward to his studying later.

After reading through most of what the Potter Manor's library had to offer on Ancient Runes, Dueling, and spell casting Harry slipped into his mindscape and used his library nestled in the forest he created to organize all of the new material he memorized with his editec mind. Harry then decided to take a breather and open up the original beautifully leather bound _Potter Trust_ that he'd been itching to read ever since he laid eyes on it.

**The Potter Trust Grimoire **

The Family Tree

Family Legacy

Family Magic

Family Alliances

Family Spells and Enchantments

Family Assets and Estates

It was well after midnight when he finished reading The Potter Trust grimoire, Harry Potter had to refocus his Occlumency shields and allowed himself to unleash a torrent of emotions he held back ever since he arrived here at the Potter Manor. So many secrets had been kept from him, now he had proof that it was indeed intentional. It took Harry several minutes to calm his emotions down and focus on what he found out about himself and his family.

Harry was not really surprised by his father's familial side, however, his mother's side was a whole different story. It appeared that even she didn't know about her ancestral lineage until her marriage into the Potter Family. Her knowledge came with her own lineage test and found that the last living heir of the Ether line married the last living heir of the Rae line. Orla Ether and Kieron Rae were the latest descendants of both their lines and married for self-preservation. Their last magical heir descendant was named Leon Rae. After him, their line nearly died out until one day, a squib Martha Evens, gave birth to a powerful muggleborn girl, Lily Evens.

As ancestral legend goes, Orla Ether, a uniquely gifted witch dominated the late 1800th century in her specialized fields. She was gifted in Ancient Runes, Charms, Enchantments, and Potions. Orla Ether earned two Mastery fields one in Charms and the other in Ancient Runes. She made her living off of selling her textbooks and research on these subjects. It was quite rare at the time for a woman of her stature to make waves in wizarding academia and profit from it. In addition, to her own wealth, Orla Ether inherited the large portion of her vault and family homes from her father, Hector Ether. She was the only living heir to receive it since her mother was unable to produce anymore children. Her father was a gifted politician with an affinity for magical law. He was an esteemed warlock of France's Wizengomet chambers and held various positions of political power close to their Minister of Magic during his career. He used his monetary gains wisely and invested in magical businesses that took off in the later years.

Kieron Rae, on the other hand, was quite an extraordinary wizard. His power levels were off the charts during that era. Kieron Rae was a powerful fighter, joining in the elite ranks of specialized operational units to protect the civilian population in different regions throughout Europe. Kieron had metamorphic skills, shadow magic affinity, natural mind magic affinity, and a unique elemental ability with fire.

_Well that explains a lot_, Harry thought to himself. He definitely started to feel a physical and magical change already with his body and magical core as he strengthened his muscles, and gained weight. The potions would help over the next few weeks to strengthen his magical core, going through the rune ritual ceremony with the goblins helped remove the blocks, but his core was still weaker than what it should be. Due to his poor childhood upbringing, Harry didn't receive the proper care and nutrition he needed to grow up and turn into a man.

The furthest known ancestors on Harry's mother's line also explained how he inherited the rest of the special abilities that were blocked by Albus Dumbledore. This made him wonder how special his mother truly was. He decided that he could talk to Etheridge tonight at dinner to decide on the next training regime to finish out the summer months.

Harry read several other texts that night to get a head start on the next set of training regimens. He covered the basics of shadow magic which fascinated him, the natural ability to learn how to filter through shadows and bend shadows to one's magic which can be helpful in fighting an opponent at night. Then he read basics of Ancient Runes again, this time practicing the different symbols by sketching them out on parchment. He got only got to one book on enhancing one's magical core when you're young until he called it quits.

Harry called one of the house elves and she popped him to the dining room so he could have dinner with Elfridge. He was quite getting used to teasing the poor old Elf. He was so strict with everything, Harry couldn't help it. Harry just chuckled when Elfridge took off his glasses and set his new training schedule in front of Harry for the last summer month.

"You know Elfridge…you could just be my grandpa if you keep up with the old glasses act" Harry smirked as he took the first bite. Elfridge groaned, this boy was James' Potters son through and through.

"Well, Mr. Potter, that might cost you extra tomorrow!" He grinned toothily.

Harry frowned and arrogantly replied, "Bring it on…grandpa!" He made sure to get an early nights rest, he would surely get his workout in over the next few days.

Dear Readers, Thank you for waiting patiently for this update. I will make another update in October as well since I'm a little behind schedule. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next chapter will include more intense training and a bit of fun!


	10. Chapter 10

Harry James Potter woke up feeling refreshed and more energized to begin his last leg of training over the summer. He grabbed the note from his night stand and read Elfridge's handwriting. It read…

_Sun Room Meditation begins in ten minutes_

Harry stretched one last time and got dressed quickly deciding on a pair of stretchy khaki cargo pants and a long sleeve maroon shirt along with a dark gray hooded sweatshirt. He pulled on the nearest sneakers he could find and headed out to the Sun Room.

Elfridge greeted his Lord with a quick bow and motioned him to sit Indian style in the center of the circle on the floor. The Sun Room was just beginning to brighten as the sunrise peaked through the windows overlooking the expansive forest and hillside. Harry complied and waited patiently for Elfridge's instructions.

Elfridge began pacing like 'the old gramps' as Harry smirked to himself and started to recap what Harry learned sense he arrived at Potter Manor.

"So far the rituals at Gringotts has cleared out all of your blocks hindering you from embracing your natural and inherited abilities on top of that you have grown your Occlumency shields to a sizable amount. Next you learned to process your Editic Memory with nearly full recall which will help you learn more advanced skills at a faster pace. Then you learned the proper fundamentals of magical theory, elemental magic, rune magic, and shadow magic."

"Now we are going to put those skills into practice. First we will begin with a guided meditation, one that has been passed down generationally in the Potter Family to guide the mind into a stable position."

"Empty your mind and enter your mindscape. We are going to be doing something a bit different than before. Since you have all of your powers unblocked and you have been gaining your physical strength and mental strength over the past month you are ready to begin your next challenge."

"Yes all of your inherited powers and natural abilities are unblocked, but you are still young and have not gone through magical maturity. That is what we will accomplish today." Elfridge said with a grin.

Harry Potter gaped at Elfridge. He hadn't really believed in magical maturity. He had heard rumors of more powerful wizards receiving something similar, but he never put himself in that position.

"You think I might be that powerful enough to go through magical maturity now!? I just turned 13!" Harry exclaimed in a worried manner.

Elfridge chuckled, "Oh, you are a sight for sore eyes Lord Potter, just you wait young lad! The sole descendant of the House of Potter, House of Rae and the House of Ether. It is amazing that your powers have been dormant inside you for this long as it is. It must happen or your powerful magic might implode without proper manifestation. Although I must say, Albus Dumbledore only went through his magical maturity at age 15, you are starting two years younger than the Headmaster of Hogwarts!"

"No, no more beating around the bush Lord Potter, it is time to see what you've been made of!" Elfridge said with a final tone.

Harry obeyed nervously and stilled himself. He had gotten a lot better at clearing his mind once he learned Occlumency and how to use defensive barriers. Harry found himself on the beach again looking out at the water. He felt relaxed and at home in his inner mind. Harry then closed his eyes and stated his mission.

"I am on a quest discover my magical maturity, by the hand of Merlin, my ancestors, and the fates, so mote it be" Harry stated purposefully, hoping it would be enough.

He opened his eyes and discovered a transfigured motorboat waiting for him to jump in, Harry did just that. He thought he would be the one to steer, but the motorboat seemed to have a mind of its own. It speed Harry across the water, he seemed to be going nowhere then after a while it turned a sharp left upon seeing an island up ahead. They neared the island, which Harry thought they were destined for and tried to slow the boat down, but it wouldn't budge or give into his commands. To the left of the island was sharp rock cliffs with double arches that attached themselves to the island. The boat slowed a tiny bit just to steer through the arches, then Harry panicked and blinked twice, the water started rushing faster and faster. He was headed straight into a waterfall.

Praying that he would come out of this alive Harry clung to the boat with dear life. Harry really wished he had taken swimming lessons! The boat continued its course and Harry waited in fear for the inevitable. The boat sailed off the waterfall falling down faster and faster until it crashed into the rocks below. The boat crash sent Harry flying in the air and landing with a splash in the lake. Finally breaking the surface, Harry gasped for air and swam, somewhat poorly to the nearest rocky shore. Exhausted but not defeated, Harry clambered up on his feet and observed his new surroundings. Squinting his eyes, he followed the curve of the rocky shore to what looked like a low lying cave up ahead. Harry reached the cave and saw a warm cackling fire waiting for him in the back. Forgetting momentarily that he was a wizard, he took off his jacket and tried to dry off.

"Oh for Merlin sake, James, I told you there is more of me in him than you!" A woman's voice from the cave's entrance reverberated back to Harry.

"But Lily, he's the youngest Seeker in the century at Hogwarts!" A man's voice said defensively.

"Come on my dear Lily, let us go meet _our_ son." James said excitedly and held her hand as they entered the cave.

Harry's heart began to beat faster as he tried to steady himself upon hearing the two adults talk about him. He slowly turned around, and stood straighter as they came into the light of the fire.

Harry drank in the sight, they were real, they were here standing in front of him.

"Mother?" "Father" He asked his voice cracking a bit. They both nodded with large grins on their faces and Lily opened her arms and Harry ran into her loving embrace for the first time in years.

Harry Potter didn't want to let go, he was standing in a cave in his mindscape with his parents. They reluctantly let go and stood back to see themselves closer in the light. His mother's smile filled his heart with such love and his father's laugh made him want to crawl back into their arms.

"How are you here? How are we all here together?" Harry said in a rush.

James chuckled and answered, "Hello, to you too, son!" Harry blushed and whispered _hi_.

"This is your mindscape Harry, technically you can make it into anything you want to see or hear. Right now, your journey has set you on a path to complete your magical maturity. We are so proud of you, Harry! You have pushed through the worst times in your life and made yourself into a man. Although, if I ever get a hold of that sister of mine, there will be hell to pay!" Lily said with a raised voice in the end.

Harry smiled and hugged her a second time. Then turned to his Father who excitedly repeated how he watched his first Quidditch match at Hogwarts. Harry blushed when he laughed about him almost swallowing the snitch.

"Now Harry, my son" James started in a more serious voice. "Our loyal but albeit annoying house elf, Elfridge, has guided you this far and we are here to help you finish your journey." Harry nodded earnestly.

"Now that you have cleared all of those horrendous magical blocks, you are ready to receive your maturity powers from the House of Potter, the House of Rae, and the House of Ether." Harry gulped and replied, "What do I have to do?"

Lily squeezed his hand and replied, "We will create a special maturity circle etched in runes and draw the magical signature of all three houses in the center. Then James and I will hold hands with you and perform the maturity ritual together. Our magic will flow out from us and into you and then our magic combined will latch itself onto your magical core and expand it to its full capability.

Harry nodded nervously, "How will it feel once your magic transfers itself to me?"

James replied, "You will feel very intense for a few minutes then it will seep itself into your body, mind, and magical core. Because you are the last living heir of three houses, it will feel even more intense than the usual maturity rituals."

His parents began to prepare the circle and Harry couldn't help but ask, "So, how come Voldemort marked our family as a target?"

Lily and James glanced at each other before James answered, "After the first prophecy was made about you, we went into hiding. We were scared as any new parents would be at the time and trusted Albus's judgment to go to Godric's Hallow. At the time, we rented it out as a safe house for the Order of the Phoenix. First, we wanted Sirius, your Godfather to be our secret keeper, but he cautioned us against it. So instead we went with the least obvious choice, Peter, who as you now know betrayed us."

Harry nodded and listened to his parents' version of the story. He just stood there soaking in the vision that was his Mom and Dad, both still looking very youthful and happy.

It was his Mom who stepped up to him and gave him a long warm hug that made him start dry heaving sobs into her shoulder. "Oh sweetheart, we watched you every day growing up in my horrible sister's house. We know dear, we are so heartbroken and felt so helpless every year. I love you so very much my son, I am so proud of how you overcame their abuse. The Weasleys were a wise choice at the beginning, but I am even prouder that you stepped out on your own and found the Potter Manor, where you belong." Harry hugged her tighter until his Dad stepped in and he gave him a big bear hug as well.

After a few minutes of breathing in their embrace as a family unit. His parents began to create the maturity circle with ancient rune symbols and the maturity spell. Then he was instructed to lie down on his back and his parents kissed his forehead one last time before starting the ritual.

Harry felt an intense amount of pressure physically, mentally, and on his magical core. He tried to work through the pain, but it came in like waves. He sustained the pain for as long as he could until passing out.

Author's Note: Hello my dear readers, thank you for enjoying this story. I finally had free time from school to finish this over break. I will also write and submit the next chapter hopefully by New Years Day! Happy Holidays everyone!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Harry Potter and Elfridge, the head House Elf of the Potter Family left for Ether Castle in Northern France. After Harry recovered from his magical maturity ritual, Elfridge decided to increase his training at the Ether Castle. He choose this Potter property because of its vast size and large training center. Ether Castle came into the Potter's heritage via the Ether family line. Harry and Elfridge entered the large property and Elfridge decided to just to explain the basis and show him where the training will be taken place for the next two weeks. The Ether Castle was enormous and so the basics were just necessary to get the new regime underway.

Elfridge pointed out Harry's room where he was staying in which consisted of a cozy guest room in one of the lower levels near the training area. After a nice dinner, Harry went to bed early trying to think of the benefits for what he would about to endure with this next step of training.

At the break of dawn, Harry rose and dressed in a pair of light weight matching dark gray training clothes and comfortable tennis shoes. Next, he glanced at his training schedule for the day that Elfridge posted on his door the night before.

Time Activity

6:00 AM – 6:30 AM Breakfast

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM Practical Shadow magic

8:00 AM – 10:00 AM Shadow apparition practice

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Shadow magic defense

11:00 AM – 11:30 AM Lunch

12:00 PM – 01:00 PM Shadow magic duel/attack mode

01:00 PM – 02:00 PM Blacksmith / Weaponry basics

02:00 PM – 05:00 PM Mage Crafting –staff

Next couple days went by like this and then Elfridge had Harry learn how to weave in between Shadows to remain undetected with stealth magic and then integrate that into combat scenarios. After Harry managed to weave in between shadows with remaining undetected, Elfridge taught him how to use shadow magic to defend and attack with duel-like operations. This was especially useful for night-time fights with dark wizards to catch them off guard and to use shadows to conceal yourself from attackers.

Next, Harry learned how to make weapons from a goblin, Gallrock, who taught him how to fuse steel, iron, and other precious metals with magic to make weapons any goblin would be proud to use in a fight.

Gallrock's intention was for Harry to make formidable weapons to use in any fight if necessary. Dueling with a wand is one thing, but most wizards do not learn how to use muggle weapons in a fight. That is where swords, daggers, and a staff come into play.

Harry worked particularly hard on his weapon-making studies. He started out with small-hand-held weapons like daggers. Then he transitioned to making a staff. In the olden days, powerful wizards had the option between a wand and a staff. According to the goblin Gallrock, his magical core as well as his other natural talents were enough to wield a staff. Historically speaking, wizards who wielded staffs named 'mages' or 'warlocks'. Harry did not think of himself personally as that, but he was happy to have another powerful weapon to add to his growing collection.

Finally, during the last waning weeks of summer break, Harry learned how to use Ancient Runes in a variety of helpful ways for combat. Despite Harry's magical maturity, and his unblocked natural powers, Harry still had to go slow with ancient rune magic. This type of magic was finicky and powerful at the same time. It had to work by a steady and practiced hand. Just because Harry read all of the books in his parents' library on the subject, did not mean he was an expert in the matter. Ancient Runes theory was one thing, but practicing was another beast onto itself.

The next day, Ethridge had Harry start out with Ancient Rune blocks. Blocks were a combination of two or more runes put together with a single intent. They were more powerful and needed an equally powerful Intent (single magical command) behind it for the block to work. Luckily, with Harry's near perfect memory and magical maturity to boot, he was in prime condition to move forward with his education in ancient runes.

Harry used his new education and power in ancient runes to personalize his combat style and dueling. These rune block could help him in multiple ways: placing a more powerful shield to prevent your weak side from being exposed in combat situations and enhancing complex spells with more power.

After going through the last few weeks of summer, Harry was almost ready to go back to Hogwarts. He worked with Elfridge and all of his recent studies have paid off. Harry owled his head of house Professor M. to see if he could test a year ahead so he could be a fourth year. Harry wanted to be a fourth year so he could finish Hogwarts sooner and prep for his OWLs. The sooner he could get out of Hogwarts, the sooner he could work in the real world.

Last day before going back to Hogwarts was used to review what he learned under the last few grueling weeks. On the top floor of the Ether estate, there was a singular room at the end of the hallway that Harry found to be pulsing with ancient magic. Harry felt drawn to it for weeks. Harry researched what he could find on wards and found that it was a blood ward. The only way to break the ward was to pierce his skin with a goblin made dagger and let the blood drip onto the pulsing ward. If the blood ward accepts your drop of blood, no harm would come to you.

On the last day before leaving for Hogwarts in the morning, Harry said goodnight to Elfridge and then snuck away to the top floor. After the last of the blood ward melted away, Harry was given permission to enter the room. Inside, the room was pretty bland, wood flooring with a couple of chairs and extra space for storage. In the middle of the room was a pedestal, on top of it was glass sphere. Harry could feel his heart beating out of his chest he was felt drawn to it as if it was telling him to pick it up…Harry reached out a shaky hand and felt his fingers grasp the prophecy and picked it up. He almost dropped it when he heard an ancient male's voice speaking…

_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord is born…_

_The boy's bloodline is seeped with power from two ancient family lineages_

_Only he will be able to defeat the Dark Lord with natural power_

_With his gifts he will strike fear and dread into the hearts of the wicked _

_He will assist other countries' to defeat evil before it spreads_

_The boy will become an accomplished wizard and enjoy the fruits of his labor_

Harry let out a strangled gasp as he put the prophecy back down on the pedestal. It told him what he secretly feared was true all along and why his parents died to protect him. A million questions began flooding through his brain causing him think irrational and anxious thoughts while he tried to sort out this new information. This was the real prophecy that the Ether castle was keeping secret from its enemies. Only Harry could defeat the Dark Lord, yet it also contained the aftermath of upcoming war if all went well. Defeating one Dark Lord sounded like enough for one person to handle, but multiple evil wizards? Harry wasn't too sure. And why in Merlin's name does it _always_ have to be _him_?!


End file.
